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OruL  dbmdhad,  Jwsniisdh. 
SEMI-ANNUAL 

conrcflcncE 

OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 
OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS 

Held  in  the  Tabernacle 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Sspi.30,  October  land 2, 1%9 

With  Report  of  Discourses 

Published  by  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Printed  in  tha  United  Slates  of  America 


Liu  callsuL . . . 

"THE  ENIGMA  OF  PALMYRA" 

For  more  than  100  years  vigorous,  but  futile  attempts  have 
been  made  to  explain  him  away,  only  to  be  rejected,  dis- 
credited or  abandoned. 

One  explanation  survives  the  tests  of  time  and  truth.  Read  it 
and  its  many-sided  manifestations  in  these'  books: 

JOSEPH  SMITH,  AN  AMERICAN  PROPHET....$3.25 


By  John  Henry  Evans 

JOSEPH  SMITH,  THE  PROPHET  $3.25 

By  Preston  Nibley 

TEACHINGS  OF  THE  PROPHET 

JOSEPH  SMITH  $2.75 

By  Joseph  Fielding  Smith 

PROPHECIES  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH  AND 

THEIR  FULFILLMENT   $1.75 

By  Nephi  L.  Morris 


One  significant  and  impressive  fact  to  consider  about  him  is 
the  caliber  of  men  whose  love  and  loyalty  he  won,  and  what 
they  accomplished  under  the  motivation  and  enthusiasm  of 


their  testimonies: 

BRIGHAM  YOUNG,  THE  MAN  AND 

HIS  WORK  $2.75 

By  Preston  Nibley 

BRIGHAM  YOUNG,  THE  COLONIZER   $3.00 

By  Milton  R.  Hunter 

HEBER  C.  KIMBALL  $3.00 

By  Orson  F.  Whitney 

DANIEL  HANMER  WELLS  $2.50 

By  Bryant  S.  Hinckley 

EZRA  T.  BENSON   $3  nn 


By  John  Henry  Evans  and  Minnie  Egan  Anderson 

DESERET  BOOK  COMPANY 

"THE  BOOK  CENTER  OF  THE  INTERMOUNTAIN  WEST" 
44  East  South  Temple  Street,  Salt  Lake  City  10,  Utah 


The  One  Hundred  Twentieth  Semi-Annual 
Conference  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 

The  One  Hundred  Twentieth  Semi  Annual  Conference  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was  held  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday,  Septem- 
ber 30  and  October  1  and  2,  1949. 

General  sessions  of  the  Conference  were  held  at  10:00  a.m.  and 
2:00  p.m.,  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday,  and  the  General  Priest- 
hood meeting  convened  in  the  Tabernacle  Saturday  evening,  October 
1,  at  7:00. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  broadcast,  which  was  present- 
ed over  KSL  and  through  the  courtesy  and  facilities  of  the  Columbia 
Broadcasting  Company's  system,  throughout  the  United  States,  on 
Sunday  morning  at  9:30  is  also  made  a  part  of  this  report. 

The  full  services  were  broadcast  over  station  KSL,  Salt  Lake 
City,  and  by  arrangement  through  KSL  were  broadcast  over  the 
following  stations:  KEYY  at  Pocatello,  KJM  at  Logan,  KSUB  at 
Cedar  City,  KSVC  at  Richfield,  KJAM  at  Vernal,  KID  at  Idaho 
Falls,  and  KGEM  at  Boise.  The  proceedings  of  the  Saturday  morning 
session  were  also  broadcast  by  delayed  transcription  over  KTXO  at 
Grand  Junction,  Colorado  and  KTYL  at  Mesa,  Arizona. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  Church,  the  sessions  of 
the  Conference  were  broadcast  by  television  over  the  Salt  Lake  area 
and  certain  areas  adjacent  thereto,  this  broadcast  was  over  the  tele- 
vision station  of  KSL,  operating  under  channel  5. 

Many  who  could  not  find  accommodation  in  the  Tabernacle  con- 
gregated in  the  Assembly  Hall  immediately  south  of  the  Tabernacle 
where  they  were  able  by  means  of  television  to  see  and  hear  the 
speakers  as  well  as  those  who  presented  musical  numbers.  Large  num- 
bers of  others  who  could  not  find  seats  in  either  of  these  buildings 
listened  to  the  services  by  means  of  amplifying  equipment  that  had 
been  installed  upon  the  grounds. 

President  George  Albert  Smith  was  present  and  presided  at  each 
of  the  general  sessions,  excepting  the  Saturday  morning  meeting  and 
the  General  Priesthood  meeting,  during  which  meetings  he  rested  at 
home. 


2  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Day 


General  Authorities  of  the  Church  Present 

The  First  Presidency  :  George  Albert  Smith,  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr., 
and  David  O.  McKay. 

The  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles:  George  F.  Richards,  Joseph 
Fielding  Smith,  Stephen  L  Richards,  John  A.  Widtsoe,  Joseph  F. 
Merrill,  Albert  E.  Bowen,  Harold  B.  Lee,  Spencer  W.  Kimball,  Ezra 
Taft  Benson,  Mark  E.  Petersen,  Matthew  Cowley,  and  Henry  D. 
Moyle. 

Patriarch  to  the  Church:  Eldred  G.  Smith. 

Of  the  Assistants  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve:  Marion  G.  Rom- 
ney,  *  Clifford  E.  Young,  **. 

Of  The  First  Council  of  the  Seventy:  Levi  Edgar  Young,  An- 
toine  R.  Ivins,  Richard  L.  Evans,  Oscar  A.  Kirkham,  ***  Milton  R. 
Hunter,  and  Bruce  R.  McConkie. 

The  Presiding  Bishopric:  LeGrand  Richards,  Joseph  L.  Wirthlin, 
and  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson. 

General  Officers  and  Other  Authorities  Present 

Church  Historian  and  Recorder:  Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  and  A. 
William  Lund,  Assistant. 

Members  of  General  Welfare  Committee,  Church  Welfare  Pro- 
gram. 

Members  of  the  Church  Board  of  Education,  Commissioner  of 
Education,  and  Seminary  supervisors. 

Presidents  of  Stakes  an'd  their  Counselors,  Bishops  of  Wards  and 
their  Counselors,  Presidents  of  Temples,  Patriarchs,  High  Priests, 
Seventies,  Elders;  General,  Stake,  and  Ward  officers  of  Auxiliary 
Associations,  from  all  parts  of  the  Church. 

FIRST  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 

The  Conference  commenced  Friday  morning,  September  30, 
1949,  the  first  session  beginning  at  10:00  a.m. 

The  Tabernacle  was  crowded  with  people,  and  many  who  could 
not  find  seats  in  the  Tabernacle  were  accommodated  in  the  Assembly 
Hall  immediately  south  of  the  Tabernacle,  where  they  could  see  and 
hear  the  services  by  means  of  television. 

President  George  Albert  Smith  presided  and  conducted  the  ser- 
vices. 

The  choir  music  for  this  meeting  was  furnished  by  the  Relief 
Society  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region  and  the  four 
Provo  Stakes,  with  Florence  Jepperson  Madsen  conducting.  Elder 
Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ. 

*Elder  Thomas  E.  McKay  absent,  convalescing  from  illness. 

**Elder  Alma  Sonne  presiding  over  the  European  Mission. 

***EIder  S.  Dilworth  Young  presiding  over  the  New  England  Mission. 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  3 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 

We  greet  you  this  morning  and  hope  you  are  all  comfortable. 
We  will  open  our  services,  waiting  upon  our  Heavenly  Father  for 
his  blessings. 

This  is  the  opening  session  of  the  120th  Semi-Annual  Conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  It  is  convening 
in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

Of  the  General  Authorities  all  are  present  except  Elder  Alma 
Sonne,  one  of  the  Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  who  is  in  Europe  in  charge 
of  the  European  Mission;  Elder  Thomas  E.  McKay,  also  of  the  As- 
sistants to  the  Twelve,  who  is  at  home  convalescing  by  direction  of 
his  physician;  President  S.  Dilworth  Young  of  the  First  Council  of 
the  Seventy  is  in  New  England  in  charge  of  that  mission. 

Elder  Joseph  Anderson  is  the  clerk  of  the  conference. 

These  services  will  be  broadcast  in  the  Assembly  Hall  over  the 
loud-speaking  system  and  by  television.  All  general  sessions  of  the 
conference  will  be  seen  in  the  Assembly  Hall  in  the  same  way.  This 
full  service  will  be  broadcast  over  station  KSL,  Salt  Lake  City,  as  also 
the  services  this  afternoon  at  2:00  p.m.,  Saturday  at  10:00  a.m.  and 
2:00  p.m.,  and  Sunday  at  10:00  a.m.  and  2:00  p.m.  By  arrangement 
through  KSL  these  same  sessions  will  be  broadcast  over  the  following 
stations:  KEYY  at  Pocatello,  KJM  at  Logan,  KSUB  at  Cedar  Citv, 
KSVC  at  Richfield,  KJAM  at  Vernal,  KID  at  Idaho  Falls,  and  KGEM 
at  Boise. 

I  am  also  pleased  to  announce  that  for  the  first  time  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Church,  sessions  of  this  conference  will  be  broadcast  upon 
the  air  by  television  over  the  Salt  Lake  area  and  certain  areas  adja- 
cent thereto.  The  broadcast  will  be  over  the  television  station  of  KSL 
which  operates  under  channel  5  as  authorized  by  the  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission. 

Any  important  messages  and  calls  that  come  to  us  for  persons 
supposed  to  be  in  attendance  at  the  conference  will  be  anounced  at 
the  dismissal  of  this  meeting  over  the  loud-speaking  system  on  the 
grounds.  Everyone  would  do  well  to  listen  carefully  to  such  announce- 
ments. 

The  choir  singing  during  today's  sessions  of  the  conference  will 
be  by  the  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region 
and  the  four  Provo  stakes,  with  Sister  Florence  Jepperson  Madsen 
conducting  and  Elder  Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ. 

We  will  begin  this  morning's  session  by  the  Singing  Mothers 
singing,  "Send  Forth  Thy  Spirit." 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Octave  W. 
Ursenbach  of  the  Lethbridge  Stake,  Canada. 


4  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday.  September  30 


First  Day 


The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  sang  the  hymn,  "Send  Forth 
Thy  Spirit." 

The  opening  prayer  was  offered  by  President  Octave  W.  Ursen- 
bach  of  the  Lethbridge  Stake. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  sang,  "Open  Our  Eyes." 

PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 

The  use  of  the  radio  has  made  it  desirable  to  make  some  an- 
nouncements that  we  did  not  need  to  make  when  everybody  who  came 
into  the  building  could  see  and  hear.  Not  only  is  this  building  now 
filled  to  capacity,  but  there  are  also  thousands  of  people  listening  in 
on  the  outside.  Many  are  witnessing  what  you  are  this  morning  by 
television. 

A  Wonderful  Age 

We  live  in  a  wonderful  age.  I  wonder  if  we  appreciate  what  it  is 
to  live  today  with  all  the  advantages  gained  in  the  nearly  six  thousand 
years  since  our  first  parents  came  into  the  world.  Here  we  are  in  the 
tops  of  these  everlasting  hills,  in  this  building  today  that  was  erected 
when  the  people  were  very  poor  and  in  distress.  The  building  itself 
yet  unsurpassed  in  all  the  world  as  a  house  of  worship  where  one's 
voice  may  be  heard  by  so  many  people. 

During  the  last  few  weeks  we  have  had  many  visitors  here,  some 
of  them  of  national  prominence,  some  of  international  prominence. 
They  have  come  into  this  structure  that  our  forbears  prepared;  they 
have  looked  around;  and  they  have  said,  "This  is  unlike  anything  I 
have  seen." 

Some  of  them  have  remarked,  "There  is  an  influence  here  that 
is  different."  So  there  should  be.  This  house  is  the  Lord's  house.  It  was 
dedicated  to  him  by  the  people  after  they  had  struggled  to  prepare  it. 
It  was  presented  to  him  after  it  had  been  fully  paid  for,  and  since  that 
time  all  people  who  have  come  into  this  house  have  come  here  as  the 
guests  of  our  Heavenly  Father. 

I  say  all  people.  Sometimes  I  have  had  individuals  interrogate  me 
in  regard  to  whether  those  who  are  not  members  of  the  Church  would 
be  permitted  to  come  here.  I  have  been  pleased  to  answer  them,  "All 
of  our  Father's  children  are  welcome  in  his  house." 

Today,  we  are  met  not  just  as  a  matter  of  curiosity.  We  have  not 
met  just  because  it  is  customary.  I  hope  we  have  come  here  with  the 
spirit  of  worship,  with  a  desire  that  whatever  is  said  here  may  be  in- 
spired by  our  Heavenly  Father. 

"Come  and  See" 

Our  sisters  have  sung  beautifully  for  us  this  morning.  The  great 
organ  has  been  their  accompaniment.  We  who  have  come  to  worship 
must  now  think  seriously  of  the  purpose  of  life  because  this  world  is 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  5 


in  a  pitiable  condition.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  our  Heavenly 
Father  down  through  the  ages  has  been  counseling  and  advising  his 
children  through  men  that  he  raised  up  for  that  purpose,  prophets  of 
God,  yet  there  has  been  controversy.  Even  in  the  days  of  the  Savior, 
among  his  own  associates,  there  was  controversy.  People  have  been 
suspicious  of  one  another.  They  have  not  believed  what  they  have 
heard,  and  they  have  not  been  willing  to  do  as  Philip,  one  of  the  dis- 
ciples of  the  Savior,  recommended  to  Nathanael  who  was  visiting 
with  him.  Philip  said,  "The  Lord  has  come." 

And  he  described  him  and  Nathanael  asked,  "Where  did  he 
come  from?" 

And  Philip  answered,  "Why,  he  came  from  Nazareth."  And  then 
the  good  man  said,  "Can  any  good  thing  come  out  of  Nazareth?" 
Philip  said,  "Come  and  see."  (See  John  1 :43-46.) 

Nathanael  had  been  taught  to  believe  that  no  good  could  come 
from  Nazareth,  and  yet  he  was  the  man  whom  the  Savior  later  re- 
ferred to  as  an  Israelite  without  guile — a  good  man,  but  deceived  be- 
cause of  the  stories  that  he  had  heard. 

But  when  he  once  learned,  when  he  had  accepted  the  invitation 
of  the  disciples  to  "Come  and  see,"  he  came  to  see. 

We  have  had  great  joy  under  the  influence  of  His  Spirit.  We 
would  like  everybody  to  enjoy  that  blessing,  and  so  when  they  have 
asked,  "What  kind  of  people  are  these  here?"  our  answer  has  been, 
"Come  and  see."  This  morning  we  are  here  as  children  of  our  Heav- 
enly Father — members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  and  others,  all  welcome  to  his  house,  all  guests  of  the  Lord. 
And  we  ought  to  have  a  good  time. 

Just  think  of  our  privileges  and  our  blessings.  Think  down  through 
the  ages  of  the  multitudes  of  wars  and  destructions  that  have  wiped 
people  out  in  many  parts  of  the  world  and  entirely  obliterated  nations, 
and  yet  for  some  reason  or  another  there  are  many  good  people  who, 
like  Nathanael,  cannot  believe  the  truth. 

Someone  has  said  of  the  people  of  the  world  that  they  would 
rather  believe  a  lie  and  be  damned  than  accept  the  truth.  That  is  rather 
a  severe  statement,  but  I. think  perhaps  it  will  bear  acceptance  as  fact. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  world  more  deleterious  or  harmful  to  the  human 
family  than  hatred,  prejudice,  suspicion,  and  the  attitude  that  some 
people  have  toward  their  fellows,  of  unkindness. 

Two  Influences 

The  spirit  of  the  adversary  is  the  spirit  of  destruction.  There  are 
two  influences  in  the  world.  The  one  is  the  influence  of  our  Heavenly 
Father  and  the  other  is  the  influence  of  Satan.  We  can  take  our  choice 
which  territory  we  want  to  live  in,  that  of  our  Heavenly  Father  or 
that  of  Satan. 

I  have  many  times  repeated  what  my  grandfather  said.  He,  too, 
talked  from  this  stand,  and  it  was  he  who  gave  me  his  name.  In  ad- 


6  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday.  September  10 


First  Day 


vising  his  family  he  said,  "There  is  a  line  of  demarcation,  well  defined. 
On  one  side  of  the  line  is  the  Lord's  territory.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  line  is  the  devil's  territory."  And  he  said,  "If  you  will  stay  on  the 
Lord's  side  of  the  line,  you  are  perfectly  safe,  because  the  adversary 
of  all  righteousness  can  not  cross  that  line." 

What  does  that  mean?  It  means  to  me  that  those  who  are  living 
righteous  lives,  keeping  all  of  the  commandments  of  our  Heavenly 
Father  are  perfectly  safe,  but  not  those  who  trifle  with  his  advice  and 
counsel. 

Ten  Commandments 

The  Ten  Commandments  are  just  as  necessary  for  us  to  observe 
today  as  they  were  by  Israel  when  they  were  given  to  Moses  in  the 
wilderness.  If  the  people  of  this  world  were  keeping  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, honoring  them,  there  would  be  no  war.  There  would  be 
no  sorrows  and  distresses  such  as  afflict  mankind,  but  because  there 
are  so  many  who  cannot  put  themselves  in  a  frame  of  mind  to  live 
righteous  lives,  they  are  in  confusion  and  they  are  in  distress. 

This  building,  as  I  say,  was  dedicated  to  the  Lord.  Some  people 
have  criticized  in  their  minds  that  it  has  been  open  to  other  faiths,  to 
other  churches,  to  people  with  other  beliefs  who  had  a  message,  as 
they  felt,  for  us.  I  am  sure  that  if  you  had  lived  in  the  days  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  and  followed  him,  as  many  people  did,  through  the  fields 
and  through  the  country,  you  would  have  found  many  of  them,  a 
majority  of  them,  were  not  believers  in  his  mission  until  they  were 
touched  by  his  spirit,  and  then  they  became  disciples. 

They  were  welcome,  and  so  I  say  all  our  Father's  children  are 
welcome  here,  and  we  hope  that  when  they  come  they  will  do  so  with 
a  receptive  mind,  and  with  a  prayer  in  their  hearts  such  as  was  offered 
this  morning  by  our  brother  from  Canada.  [President  Octave  W. 
Ursenbach  of  Lethbridge  Stake.] 

A  Sick  World 

We  are  living  in  a  sick  world,  in  a  time  when,  as  we  read  in  the 
scriptures,  the  wisdom  of  the  wise  shall  perish,  and  the  understanding 
of  their  prudent  men  shall  be  hid.  That  is  the  condition  of  the  world 
today.  The  leaders  of  the  nations — many  of  them — desire  to  do  the 
thing  that  will  benefit  their  nation  or  the  group  they  belong  to,  but 
selfishness  in  many  cases  characterizes  their  conduct,  and  the  result 
is  that  instead  of  peace  we  have  sorrow  and  distress. 

There  is  only  one  way.  We  can  legislate  until  doomsday  but  that 
will  not  make  men  righteous.  It  will  be  necessary  for  people  who  are 
in  the  dark  to  repent  of  their  sins,  correct  their  lives,  and  live  in  such 
a  righteous  way  that  they  can  enjoy  the  spirit  of  our  Heavenly  Father. 

Think  of  the  beautiful  prayer  that  was  offered  by  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth, who  gave  his  life  for  us,  who  represented  a  great  race  of  people 
who  were  despised  by  other  races,  and  who  came  into  the  world  to 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  7 


bring  a  blessing.  When  he  was  asked,  "Teach  us  to  pray,"  what  a 
beautiful  simple  prayer  he  gave.  Anybody  could  repeat  it,  and  if  they 
repeat  it  with  their  hearts  in  tune  with  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  they  can 
feel  the  influence  that  comes  from  it. 

It  was  not  very  long  after  that  until  he  was  cruelly  murdered,  as 
have  been  the  prophets  of  God  almost  from  the  beginning.  The  fact 
remains  that  all  this  time  our  Heavenly  Father  has  had  upon  the 
earth  men  and  women  who  are  righteous,  who  are  seeking  to  do  his 
will  and  keep  his  commandments. 

Gospel  Message 

Many  of  you  here  today  are  either  from  foreign  lands  or  the 
descendants  of  those  who  came  from  foreign  lands.  Many  of  you  or 
your  forebears  have  heard  the  gospel  as  it  has  been  taught  by  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  during  a  little  over  a 
hundred  years.  Sometimes  you  have  heard  it  on  the  street  where  there 
was  a  humble  missionary,  teaching  what  the  Lord  had  called  him  to 
teach. 

There  was  something  that  touched  the  hearts  of  those  who  heard. 
I  have  had  experiences  in  the  mission  field.  I  have  seen  groups  of  peo- 
ple stand  and  listen  to  a  humble  missionary  explain  the  purpose  of 
life  and  talk  to  the  people  and  encourage  them  to  repent  of  their  sins, 
and  I  have  sometimes  heard  people  say,  "I  have  never  before  felt  an 
influence  like  I  feel  while  I  hear  that  man  talk." 

I  take  this  occasion  to  express  my  appreciation  for  the  opportun- 
ity of  being  here,  for  the  privilege  of  associating  with  such  men  and 
women  as  are  present  this  morning.  I  am  grateful  for  the  privilege 
that  came  to  me  of  being  reared  in  this  part  of  the  world  under  a  gov- 
ernment that  God  himself  said  was  prepared  by  men  that  he  raised 
up  for  that  very  purpose.  I  refer  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States. 

I  am  grateful  for  my  blessings — all  of  them — and  thank  you,  my 
brethren  and  sisters,  who  from  day  to  day  and  from  year  to  year  as 
I  have  gone  through  life,  have  encouraged  me  to  go  on  and  represent, 
as  I  might,  the  desires  of  our  Heavenly  Father  in  my  own  life,  that  I 
might  receive  many  blessings. 

There  is  a  law  irrevocably  decreed  in  heaven  from  before  the 
foundation  of  this  world  upon  which  every  blessing  is  predicated,  and 
unless  we  observe  that  law,  we  cannot  enjoy  the  blessing.  The  Lord 
has  told  us  that.  If  people  disagree  with  us,  if  our  Father's  other  chil- 
dren do  not  believe  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as  revealed  in  this  latter 
day  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  that  ought  not  to  incur  our  dis- 
pleasure. It  ought  to  enlist  our  sympathy,  because  if  we  know,  as 
Philip  knew  when  he  testified  of  the  man  who  came  from  Nazareth, 
we  could  invite  our  friends  to  come  and  see.  If  we  are  just  as  sure 
as  that,  we  will  let  our  light  so  shine  that  others,  seeing  our  good 
works,  will  be  constrained  to  glorify  our  Father  in  heaven. 


8  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday.  September  W 


First  Dair 


Acceptance  of  Truth 

I  have  traveled  much  in  the  world,  approximately  a  million  miles, 
advocating  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as  revealed  in  this  latter  day. 
I  have  found  good  people  everywhere,  wonderful  people,  kind  and 
friendly,  but  until  they  received  an  understanding  of  the  truth  and 
conformed  their  lives  to  the  teachings  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  they 
were  not  taking  advantage  of  all  their  opportunities,  and  when  that 
time  came  and  they  accepted  the  truth,  they  added  to  what  they  pos- 
sessed before. 

When  we  go  into  the  world  and  talk  to  our  Father's  other  chil- 
dren, we  do  not  ask  them  to  give  up  any  truth  that  they  have.  We 
do  not  ask  them  to  surrender  what  they  have  believed,  if  it  is  true. 

At  the  present  time  we  have  approximately  five  thousand  mis- 
sionaries traveling  among  the  nations  of  the  earth  who  are  saying  to 
our  Father's  other  children,  "Come  and  see.  Keep  all  the  good  that 
you  have.  Let  us  sit  down  with  you  and  add  to  what  you  already 
possess  for  your  own  happiness  and  for  your  own  good,  and  without 
money  and  without  price." 

That  is  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  I  assure  you 
I  am  grateful  for  the  knowledge  that  I  have  that  it  is  the  truth.  It  has 
given  me  comfort  and  satisfaction,  and  I  praise  his  name  who  is  the 
Author  of  our  being,  that  we  are  permitted  to  be  his  guests  in  his  house 
today. 

Blessings  of  Gospel 

This  morning  there  is  peace  and  quiet  all  around  us,  and  yet  in 
many  parts  of  the  world  there  are  distress  and  anguish,  and  threat  of 
war — disturbances  of  all  kinds.  Many  people  have  come  out  of  the 
world  for  the  gospel's  sake  and  come  to  the  valleys  of  these  moun- 
tains in  response  to  the  promise, 

But  seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness;  and  all 
these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you.    (Matt.  6:33.) 

I  bear  witness  to  you  that  that  has  been  realized  by  the  faithful  men 
and  women  who  have  come  into  this  part  of  the  world  for  the  gospel's 
sake. 

I  pray  that  during  this  conference  we  may  rejoice  together,  that 
we  may  feel  the  influence  that  makes  us  happy  when  we  possess  it. 
And  when  the  conference  meetings  have  been  finished,  and  we  go  to 
our  various  homes,  I  pray  that  we  will  have  felt  that  we  have  been 
fed  the  bread  of  life,  that  we  may  live  as  our  Heavenly  Father  has 
desired  us  to  live,  and  devote  our  time  as  he  has  expected  us  to  do,  and 
then  as  real  Christians,  as  real  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Living  God, 
let  us  reach  out  and  try  to  touch  those  who  have  not  yet  received  the 
blessings  that  we  have  received,  and  offer  them  an  opportunity  to 
enjoy  what  we  appreciate. 


ELDER  ELDRED  G.  SMITH 


9 


Testimony 

This  is  the  work  of  the  Lord.  This  is  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  name  was  given  to  it  by  our  Heavenly  Father.  I  do  not  say 
that  boastfully.  I  hope  no  one  here  this  morning  will  feel  that  I  am 
arrogant  because  of  my  membership  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  I  have  no  such  feeling,  but  I  have  a  feeling  of 
humility,  of  gratitude,  of  thanksgiving  for  the  companionship  of  such 
men  and  women  as  are  here,  and  men  and  women  in  the  world  whom 
I  have  traveled  with  and  associated  with  during  these  many  years, 
many  of  whom  have  not  been  able  to  understand  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  I  hope  for  their  sakes  and  for  the  sake  of  those  they  love 
that  they  will  eventually  receive  that  blessing,  and  it  will  have  to 
come,  if  it  ever  does,  from  the  Author  of  our  being  through  the  in- 
spiration of  his  Spirit. 

Again  I  say,  this  is  our  Father's  work.  This  is  the  Church  of  the 
Lamb  of  God.  We  who  know  that  have  a  responsibility  that  no  other 
people  in  the  world  have,  and  if  we  will  be  righteous  in  our  lives, 
having  our  own  homes  and  our  own  lives  in  order,  the  spirit  of  our 
Heavenly  Father  will  be  with  us  always.  People  will  rejoice  in  our 
companionship,  and  when  we  go  to  the  other  side,  we  will  find  our 
names  enrolled  in  the  Lamb's  Book  of  Life,  and  that  will  entitle  us  to 
an  eternal  inheritance  in  the  celestial  kingdom,  and  this  earth  will  be 
that  kingdom.  I  bear  you  witness  of  it  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our 
Lord.  Amen. 

ELDER  ELDRED  G.  SMITH 

Patriarch  to  the  Church 

There  is  one  advantage  in  being  called  on  early.  I  can  assure 
you  I  will  enjoy  this  conference  more  than  any  I  have  enjoyed  be- 
fore, and  I  hope  that  I  will  have  your  faith  and  prayers  with  me 
while  I  stand  before  you  because  I  assure  you  I  need  them. 

It  is  a  very  inspiring  sight  to  look  over  this  audience,  and 
it  is  also  a  frightening  feeling  not  only  to  see  all  these  people  and 
have  them  watching  me  and  sensing  that  responsibility,  and  using 
your  time,  but  also  adding  to  it  all  the  people  who  are  listening,  as 
President  Smith  has  announced,  through  the  broadcasting  systems, 
and  through  television.  No  one  knows  how  many  thousands  there 
are  there — I  assure  you  I  sense  the  responsibility  of  the  time  I  use 
here  and  hope  I  have  your  faith  and  prayers  in  my  behalf  in  helping 
me  to  say  those  things  which  will  be  of  benefit. 

Goal  of  Perfection 

It  has  been  the  goal  of  all  who  are  striving  to  do  the  will  of  the 
Lord  to  accomplish  the  request  of  the  Savior  in  his  Sermon  on  the 
Mount: 


10  .  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday.  September  30 


First  Pay 


Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is 
perfect.   (Matt.  5:48.) 

This  is  rather  a  large  order,  is  it  not?  It  would  seem  almost 
impossible  to  attain.  We  are  only  human.  And  certainly,  to  err 
is  human.  The  conflicting  forces  of  good  and  evil  in  the  world, 
and  our  free  agency  to  choose  what  course  we  will,  make  it  very 
hard  to  do  what  is  right  all  the  time. 

Law  of  Repentance 

God  has  given  us  commandments  and  instructions  and  shown 
us  the  way,  and  it  is  for  us  to  follow.  He  knows  we  will  step  aside 
at  times,  so  he  has  given  us  the  law  of  repentance.  Repentance  is 
not  only  sorrow  for  our  sins,  but  also  turning  aside  and  exerting 
ourselves  to  the  utmost  to  make  retribution. 

There  are  four  kinds  of  people  in  the  world.  There  is  the 
kind  that  does  not  know  when  things  are  wrong,  and  the  kind  that 
knows  when  things  are  wrong  but  does  not  care.  There  is  the 
kind  that  knows  when  things  are  wrong  and  does  care,  but  does 
not  care  enough  to  make  them  right.  And  there  is  the  fourth  kind 
that  knows  when  things  are  wrong  and  strives  intelligently  to  make 
them  right  and  to  keep  them  right.  Those  are  the  people  who  know 
how  to  progress. 

We  must  be  aware  of  our  sins  and  repent  every  day  of  our 
lives  if  we  would  strive  for  perfection.  Repentance  is  not  only  for 
some  big  sin  or  for  our  past  sins  before  we  are  baptized — it  is  also 
regretting  every  slip  we  make  and  honestly  striving  to  do  better. 

The  Lord  in  his  wisdom  has  divided  our  time  into  daylight  and 
darkness.  With  the  dawning  of  each  new  day  conies  a  new  chance 
to  improve  upon  the  mistakes  of  yesterday.  Let  us  call  upon  the 
Lord  for  help.  Every  morning  and  throughout  the  day  we  should 
pray  for  strength  to  do  his  will.  We  need  it,  for  it  is  the  little, 
trivial  daily  trials  that  are  the  hardest  to  bear  serenely.  It  is  the 
seeming  little  sins  which  we  scarcely  recognize  that  are  the  hardest 
to  overcome.  Pray  for  strength,  then,  constantly,  to  be  kind, 
honest,  charitable;  and  each  night  let  us  pray  for  forgiveness  of 
the  sins  we  have  committed,  repent  and  try  harder  the  next  day 
to  do  better. 

Overcoming  Evil 

There  is  an  old  saying,  "There  is  nothing  noble  in  being 
superior  to  some  other  man.  The  true  nobility  is  in  being  superior 
to  your  previous  self."  Without  opposition  there  would  be  no 
progress,  for  it  is  only  as  we  overcome  that  we  develop  strength. 

As  the  steel  which  is  heated  and  quenched  becomes  much 
stronger  and  more  valuable,  as  a  result  of  that  tempering,  so  do  we 
become  stronger  and  more  valuable  as  we  overcome  our  sins,  be  they 


ELDER  ELD  RED  G.  SMITH 


11 


great  or  small.  Each  one  has  his  trials  to  go  through,  and  they 
all  seem  to  be  different.  In  the  process  of  this  tempering  of  the 
soul  of  man,  we  learn  one  great  principle  among  many  others:  the 
need  for  repentance.  It  is  this  spirit  of  repentance  the  Lord  re- 
quests as  a  prerequisite  to  baptism,  that  through  the  act  of  re- 
pentance man  may  start  on  the  road  to  perfection  and  receive 
baptism  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  repentance  does  not  stop  there. 
That  is  the  beginning  of  progress;  and  as  soon  as  repentance  stops, 
progress  stops. 

If  we  are  to  become  perfect,  we  must  constantly  overcome 
the  powers  of  evil.  We  find  the  powers  of  evil  on  every  hand, 
every  day.  We  learn  to  combat  them  in  earliest  childhood.  We 
are  taught  by  our  parents  to  do  good  and  avoid  evil.  We  are 
taught  to  distinguish  to  some  degree  between  good  and  evil.  We 
are  taught  the  law  of  repentance  by  correcting  things  that  are 
wrong.  Those  teachings  by  mother  and  father  are  most  enduring, 
and  many  great  men  accredit  their  success  to  those  early  teachings. 

Parents,  there  is  the  challenge  to  us.  Can  we  give  our  chil- 
dren the  right  start  in  life?  There  is  also  the  challenge  to  the  rest 
of  us.  Can  we  so  live  to  be  true  and  faithful  to  the  teachings  in 
righteousness  given  to  us  by  our  parents?  Can  we  be  more  like 
the  "lonesome  pine"  seen  so  often  on  the  uppermost  levels  of  these 
beautiful  mountains  of  ours — this  pine  which  stands  alone,  bending 
and  swaying  in  the  wind?  These  gallant  timbers  are  known  to 
naturalists  as  "limber  pine,"  so  named  because  of  their  resiliency, 
which  enables  them  to  ride  through  the  heavy  storms  that  rage 
around  them  on  occasions.  You  can  tie  their  branches  in  knots 
without  breaking  the  bark.  When  untied,  the  branches  snap  back 
into  their  original  position. 

Resiliency  Needed 

We  see,  in  their  survival,  not  strength  alone,  but  victory  in 
their  ability  to  spring  erect  again,  after  bending  to  the  gale's  fury. 
Resiliency  is  an  important  factor  in  the  goal  of  perfection.  The 
winds  of  life  may  bend  us,  but  if  we  have  resiliency  of  spirit,  they 
cannot  break  us.  To  straighten  again  courageously  after  our  heads 
have  been  bowed  in  defeat,  disappointment,  and  suffering,  is  the 
supreme  test  of  character.  Such  people  live  on  the  mountaintops  of 
life  and  are  on  the  road  to  perfection. 

There  are  many  who  have  bowed  to  disappointment  or  criti- 
cism or  for  some  other  such  reason  have  stopped  their  progress  in 
the  priesthood,  and  have  lacked  the  resiliency  to  rise  to  the  occasion 
and,  in  spite  of  opposition,  continue  to  progress.  Can  you  acknowl- 
edge your  mistakes  and  intelligently  try  to  correct  them?  Can 
you  also  make  allowances  for  others'  weaknesses  and  give  them 
the  opportunity  to  make  retribution? 


12  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Day 


Procrastination 

There  is  one  important  thing  to  remember.  As  the  time  of 
repentance  is  procrastinated,  the  ability  to  repent  grows  weaker. 
Neglect  of  opportunity  in  holy  things  brings  a  forfeit  of  the  chance. 

From  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  the  Book  of  Alma  we  read: 

Ye  cannot  say,  when  ye  are  brought  to  that  awful  crisis,  that  I  will 
repent,  that  I  will  return  to  my  God.  Nay,  ye  cannot  say  this;  for  that 
same  spirit  which  doth  possess  your  bodies  at  the  time  that  ye  go  out  of 
this  life,  that  same  spirit  will  have  power  to  possess  your  body  in  that 
eternal  world. 

For  behold,  if  ye  have  procrastinated  the  day  of  your  repentance 
even  until  death,  behold,  ye  have  become  subjected  to  the  spirit  of  the  devil, 
and  he  doth  seal  you  his;  therefore,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  hath  withdrawn 
from  you,  and  hath  no  place  in  you,  and  the  devil  hath  all  power  over 
you;  and  this  is  the  final  state  of  the  wicked.    (Alma  34:34-35.) 

Teachings  of  Conference 

May  the  Lord  bless  us  to  be  able  always  to  keep  his  com- 
mandments to  the  best  of  our  ability.  And  I  bless  you,  my  brothers 
and  sisters,  with  a  strength  of  memory  sufficient  to  take  home  with 
you  the  spirit  and  teachings  of  this  conference  that  you  may  not  be 
forgetful  of  the  kernels  of  truth  and  light,  and  that  you  may  not  be 
so  burdened  with  the  numerous  teachings  of  this  conference,  that 
you  will  lose  sight  of  the  important  things,  and  that  you  will  remem- 
ber them  and  put  them  into  practice  and  teach  them  to  the  many 
hundreds  of  our  members  who  are  not  able  to  attend  this  conference. 

I  bless  you,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  that  you  may  be  saints 
in  very  deed,  through  your  faithfulness  and  your  devotion  to  the 
teachings  which  are  given  in  this  conference,  and  may  God  be  with 
us  all,  that  we  may  ever  honor  and  glorify  him.  May  God  be  ever 
honored  and  glorified  for  his  manifold  mercies  unto  us,  his  chil- 
dren, I  pray  through  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  and  the  congregation  joined 
in  singing  the  hymn,  "Come,  Come  Ye  Saints." 

ELDER  LEVI  EDGAR  YOUNG 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

I  wish  I  might  say  something  to  the  missionaries  of  the  Church 
that  would  be  helpful  in  their  work  in  teaching  the  gospel.  In  a 
broad  sense,  we  are  all  missionaries  who  hold  the  priesthood  of 
God.  We  are  ever  ready  to  give  the  message  of  eternal  life 
because  of  the  truth,  beauty,  and  goodness  of  the  divine  teachings 
of  the  Savior.    Out  of  our  faith,  we  find  everything  that  is  holy  and 


ELDER  LEVI  EDGAR  YOUNG 


13 


pure  and  of  good  report.  1  was  thinking  this  morning  of  the  Sab- 
bath day  after  the  arrival  of  the  pioneers  in  this  valley,  July  24, 
1847.  Divine  services  were  held,  and  the  people  were  seated  in  a 
circle  out  in  the  sagebrush,  and  nearby  were  the  waters  of  a  lovely 
stream.  Gratitude  to  God  was  expressed  in  song  and  prayer,  and 
the  words  of  Isaiah  were  read  by  Apostle  Orson  Pratt,  who  gave 
the  sermon: 

How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth 
good  tidings,  that  publisheth  peace;  that  bringeth  good  tidings  of  good; 
that  publisheth  salvation;  that  saith  unto  Zion,  Thy  God  reigneth! 

Thy  watchmen  shall  lift  up  the  voice;  with  the  voice  together  shall 
they  sing;  for  they  shall  see  eye  to  eye,  when  the  Lord  shall  bring  again 
Zion.    (Isaiah  52:7-8.) 

Truths  of  God 

The  Saints  had  sung  their  sacred  hymns  during  their  long 
journey.  They  had  endured  their  trials,  and  the  more  they  suf- 
fered, the  deeper  was  their  gratitude  to  God.  The  missionaries 
go  forth  to  speak  of  these  things,  because  the  history  of  this  people 
is  in  many  respects  the  most  majestic  and  sublime  of  any  people 
that  ever  lived.  There  is  a  sacred  foundation  to  their  teachings. 
The  Latter-day  Saints  believe  and  know  honestly  that  Adam  came 
to  earth  sent  of  God  from  heaven.  He  held  the  priesthood  of 
God  and  became  the  first  teacher  of  the  gospel  to  his  descendants. 
The  divine  ideals  as  taught  by  the  Father  of  us  all  were  held 
sacred,  and  from  that  time  to  the  days  of  the  Messiah  upon  the 
earth,  the  truths  of  God  were  planted  in  the  hearts  of  his  children. 
Maurice  Maeterlinck  in  his  book,  The  Great  Secret,  says  that 
what  we  read  in  the  oldest  archives  of  wisdom  gives  us  only  a 
faint  idea  of  the  sublime  doctrines  of  the  ancient  teachers.  The 
older  the  texts,  the  more  pure,  the  more  awe-inspiring  are  the 
doctrines  they  reveal.  They  may  be  merely  an  echo  of  sublimer 
doctrines.  We  come  down  to  the  age  of  the  prophets.  Says  a 
noted  historian: 

How  fitting  it  is  that  Malachi  should  seal  up  the  book  of  the  Old 
Testament  prophecy  by  such  a  clear  statement  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord, 
the  Messenger  of  the  Covenant,  the  Son  of  righteousness,  and  thus  give 
the  last  prediction  of  him,  with  whom  the  evangelists  begin  their  gospel 
history. 

Hugo  Munsterberg  of  Harvard  University  wrote,  in  his  Psychol- 
ogy and  Life,  something  of  the  past  glory  of  the  sacred  records: 

There  is  a  truth,  a  beauty,  a  morality,  which  is  independent  of  psycho- 
logical conditions.  Every  straightforward  man,  to  whom  the  duties  of  his 
real  life  are  no  sounding  brass,  speaks  with  a  sound  voice  to  the  psycholo- 
gist: "There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth  than  are  dreamt  of  in 
your  philosophy." 


14  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  D.iij 


Gospel  Re-established 

We  have  the  age  in  which  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  lived.  He 
was  undoubtedly  the  greatest  character  in  history  since  the  days 
of  the  Savior  of  the  world.  He  re-established  the  divine  princi- 
ples of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  day  in  which  we  live. 
We  first  see  him  in  the  woods  on  the  frontier  of  America  praying 
as  a  child  might  pray  and  the  Lord  appearing  to  him.  Using  the 
words  of  the  Psalmist, 

.  .  .  grace  is  poured  into  thy  lips,  therefore,  God  hath  blessed  thee 
forever.  (Psalms  45:2.) 

With  the  Father  was  Jesus  the  Savior.  Joseph  heard  the  voice 
of  God  and  the  divine  words:  "This  is  my  Beloved  Son!"  A  new 
day  was  at  hand.  From  that  moment  he  was  heart  and  mind  to 
the  word  of  the  Lord. 

He  learned  that  day  that  the  divisions  of  Christendom  are  its 
most  conspicuous  reproach  and  the  chief  cause  of  its  inefficiency. 
They  present  a  moral  affront  to  the  enterprise  inaugurated  by 
Jesus  Christ  and  constitute  the  outstanding  limitation  of  its  progress. 
Christianity  is  weakened  by  its  divisions  in  facing  the  problems 
of  today,  among  which  are  class  hatreds,  race  antagonisms,  blind- 
ness to  social  justice,  the  lure  of  vicious  literature,  crime-instigating 
narcotics,  and  the  spread  of  military  spirit  in  the  world. 

Principle  of  Revelation 

The  supreme  test  of  religion  is  revelation.  No  religion  can 
be  persuasive  unless  it  relies  on  the  principle  of  revelation.  The 
living  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  must  be  revelatory.  Christianity  in 
its  pure  sense  is  the  religion  of  redeemed  personality.  While  all 
true  men  reveal  God,  the  completest  carrier  of  revelation  can  be 
no  other  than  a  chosen  personality. 

By  the  power  of  the  Holy  Priesthood  which  Joseph  Smith  re- 
ceived from  heaven,  he  established  our  true  relationship  to  God. 
Out  of  this  grows  the  salvation  of  man — his  true  immortal  life. 
The  nations  all  bear  witness  to  the  need  of  a  light  that  is  not  of 
man.  We  can  give  our  word  to  the  world  that  the  forces  which 
are  to  make  the  world  the  world  it  ought  to  be  are  now  within  it. 
My  fellow  missionaries:  We  are  to  study  more  deeply  and  con- 
stantly the  divine  truths  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  We  must 
know  the  history  of  the  Church  of  which  we  are  members.  We 
must  understand  the  meaning  of  the  priesthood  of  God  which  has 
been  given  to  us.  We  must  know  the  divine  teachings  of  the 
Holy  Bible,  the  Book  of  Mormon,  The  Doctrine  and  Covenants, 
and  The  Pearl  of  Great  Price.  How  beautifully  do  they  teach  the 
words  of  Shakespeare: 


ELDER  LEVI  EDGAR  YOUNG  15 

What  a  piece  of  work  is  a  man!  how  noble  in  reason!  how  infinite 
in  faculty!  in  form  and  moving  how  express  and  admirable!  in  action 
how  like  an  angel!  in  apprehension  how  like  a  God!  (Shakespeare, 
Hamlet  Act  II,  Sc.  2. 

Faith  in  Revealed  Word 

Think  of  what  your  message  can  become  as  you  go  forth  to 
teach.  But  it  is  going  to  require  of  you  some  sort  of  planning 
toward  an  end.  Your  minds  must  become  more  sensitive  to  the 
revealed  truths  of  God  as  never  before.  Your  faith  in  your  work 
must  deepen  from  day  to  day.  Let  me  call  to  your  minds  the 
words  of  the  first  two  verses  of  the  first  chapter  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon: 

I,  Nephi,  having  been  born  of  goodly  parents,  therefore  I  was  taught 
somewhat  in  all  the  learning  of  my  father;  and  having  seen  many  afflictions 
in  the  course  of  my  days,  nevertheless,  having  been  highly  favored  of  the 
Lord  in  all  my  days;  yea,  having  had  a  great  knowledge  of  the  goodness 
and  the  mysteries  of  God,  therefore  I  make  a  record  of  my  proceedings 
in  my  days. 

Yea,  I  make  a  record  in  the  language  of  my  father,  which  consists 
of  the  learning  of  the  Jews  and  the  language  of  the  Egyptians.  (I  Nephi 
1:1-2.) 

What  a  noble  tribute  to  education  these  words  are.  Lehi  had 
become  an  educated  man  in  his  day,  and  his  son  pays  him  loving 
tribute.  So  you  must  study  the  words  of  Holy  Writ  every  hour 
of  the  day  and  remember  the  admonition  of  the  first  teacher  to  the 
American  Indians,  called  by  some  the  apostle  John  Eliot: 

Work,  with  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  can  accomplish  anything. 

"Words  of  Wisdom" 

What  a  directive  purpose  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  gives  us 
in  the  words  as  found  in  the  88th  Section  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants: 

.  .  .  seek  ye  diligently  and  teach  one  another  words  of  wisdom;  yea, 
seek  ye  out  of  the  best  books  words  of  wisdom;  seek  learning,  even  by 
study  and  also  by  faith. 

Organize  yourselves;  prepare  every  needful  thing;  and  establish  a 
house,  even  a  house  of  prayer,  a  house  of  fasting,  a  house  of  faith,  a 
house  of  learning,  a  house  of  glory,  a  house  of  order,  a  house  of  God. 
(Verses  118-119.) 

From  the  beginning  of  the  history  of  the  Church,  Joseph  Smith 
organized  schools  of  learning.  He  became  a  student  and  a  member 
of  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew  classes  established  in  the  Kirtland 
Temple.  He  established  the  University  of  the  City  of  Nauvoo,  en- 
couraged the  building  of  the  Seventies'  Hall  of  Science.  In  volume 
five  of  the  Times  and  Seasons  is  found  this  brief,  but  noble  state- 
ment: 


16  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Day 


Among  the  improvements  going  forward  in  this  city,  none  merit 
higher  praise,  than  the  Seventies'  Library.  The  concern  has  been  com- 
menced on  a  footing  and  scale,  broad  enough  to  embrace  the  arts  and 
sciences,  everywhere:  so  that  the  Seventies  while  traveling  over  the  face 
of  the  globe,  as  the  Lord's  "Regular  Soldiers,"  can  gather  all  the  curious 
things,  both  natural  and  artificial,  with  all  the  knowledge,  inventions,  and 
wonderful  specimens  of  genius  that  have  been  gracing  the  world  for  almost 
six  thousand  years,    (p.  762;  January  1,  1845.) 

Refinement  and  Culture 

The  early  history  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  was  one  of  refinement  and  culture.  The  people  became  lovers 
of  good  literature.  Even  when  they  were  camping  on  the  frozen 
ground  of  Iowa  as  they  began  their  exodus  to  the  far  West,  they 
read  their  sacred  books  and  before  the  campfires  they  knelt  in 
prayer.  We  are  told  that  in  one  of  the  camps  was  a  copy  of 
Mile.  Cottin's  beautiful  story,  entitled  "Elizabeth."  It  was  so 
sought  after  that  some  read  the  book  by  the  light  of  the  moon. 
They  were  sustained  by  day  and  by  night  by 

.  .  .  keeping  up  the  songs  of  Zion,  and  passing  along  Doxologies  from 
front  to  rear  when  the  breath  froze  on  their  eyelashes. 

Jane  Bicknell  Young,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Young,  sang  to  her  chil- 
dren the  "Song  of  the  Silent  Land": 

Into  the  Silent  Land! 

Who  shall  lead  us  thither? 

Clouds  in  the  evening  sky  more  darkly  gather 

And  shattered  wrecks  lie  thicker  on  the  strand. 

Who  leads  us  with  a  gentle  hand 

Thither,  oh,  thither, 

Into  the  Silent  Land. 

They  trained  themselves  to  read  and  to  think,  but  they  had 
no  set  regulations  for  their  studies.  They  embraced  only  guiding 
principles.  They  knew  nothing  of  set  rules  and  methods  which 
would  have  limited  their  imaginations  and  initiative,  which  are  so 
important  in  the  successful  presentation  of  great  truths.  One  of 
the  first  things  that  President  Brigham  Young  did  after  the  advent 
of  the  pioneers  to  Utah  was  to  issue  an  epistle — and  this  in  1847 — 
which  reads  as  follows: 

It  is  very  desirable  that  all  the  Saints  should  improve  every  oppor- 
tunity of  securing  at  least  a  copy  of  every  valuable  treatise  on  education — 
every  book,  map,  chart,  or  diagram  that  may  contain  interesting,  useful, 
and  attractive  matter,  to  gain  the  attention  of  children,  and  cause  them  to 
love  to  learn  to  read;  and  also  every  historical,  mathematical,  philosophical, 
geographical,  geological,  astronomical,  scientific,  practical,  and  all  other 
variety  of  useful  and  interesting  writings,  maps,  etc.,  to  present  to  the  gen- 
eral church  recorder,  when  they  shall  arrive  at  their  destination,  from 
which  important  and  interesting  matter  may  be  gleaned  to  compile  the 
most  valuable  works  on  every  science  and  subject,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
rising  generation.    We  have  a  printing  press,  and  any  one  who  can  take 


ELDER  LEVI  EDGAR  YOUNG 


17 


good  printing  or  writing  paper  to  the  valley  will  be  blessing  themselves 
and  the  Church.  We  also  want  all  kinds  of  mathematical  instruments, 
together  with  all  rare  specimens  of  natural  curiosities  and  works  of  art 
that  can  be  gathered. 

First  Library 

In  1851  the  first  extensive  library  was  brought  by  ox  teams  to 
this  state.  It  had  been  purchased  in  New  York  City  by  Dr.  John 
M.  Bernhisel  and  was  a  wonderful  collection  of  books.  There  were 
the  works  of  Shakespeare,  Milton,  Bacon,  Homer,  Juvenal,  Lu- 
cretius, Virgil,  Euripides,  Sophocles,  Plato,  Montaigne,  Tacitus, 
Spenser,  Herodotus,  Goldsmith,  and  many  others  of  the  great 
masters  of  the  world's  best  literature.  The  library  received  copies 
of  the  New  York  Herald,  New  York  Evening  Post,  the  Philadelphia 
Saturday  Courier,  and  the  North  American  Review.  Of  the  scien- 
tific works  there  were  Newton's  Principia,  Herschel's  Outlines  of 
Astronomy,  and  Von  Humboldt's  Cosmos.  The  treatises  on 
philosophy  included  the  works  of  John  Stuart  Mill,  Martin  Luther, 
John  Wesley,  and  Emanuel  Swedenborg. 

Time  will  not  permit  my  going  into  the  cultural  aspects  of  the 
early  days  of  the  Church.  The  Latter-day  Saints  were  a  cultured 
people  from  the  first,  and  they  indicated  this  in  their  lives.  The 
inventory  of  the  educational  resources  of  Utah  have  been  what 
Dr.  Samuel  T.  Dutton,  of  Columbia  University,  has  pointed  out. 
These  resources  are:  First,  homes,  churches,  schools,  and  libraries; 
second,  newspapers,  magazines,  museums,  drama,  industry,  and 
government;  third,  those  intellectual  and  ethical  aptitudes  of  the 
people  which  make  it  possible  for  them  to  be  quickened  and  in- 
fluenced in  the  right  direction. 

Achievements  of  Pioneers 

The  pioneers  were  always  striving  to  understand  the  arts 
and  sciences,  for  they  sensed  keenly  the  power  of  all  truth.  They 
knew  the  human  constants — hunger  and  labor,  seedtime  and  harvest, 
love  and  faith — which  entered  into  their  lives  from  the  very  first. 
They  built  this  Tabernacle  in  which  we  are  worshiping  today.  They 
continued  establishing  schools  and  colleges  and  established  a 
theatre  in  the  wilderness  which  in  time  became  recognized  by 
the  artists  of  the  London  stage  as  well  as  the  famous  dramatists  of 
America.  Mr.  M.  B.  Leavitt  has  written  in  his  Fifty  Years  of  the 
American  Stage: 

Sweeping  as  the  statement  may  seem,  I  do  not  believe  that  the  theater 
has  ever  rested  on  a  higher  plane,  both  as  to  its  purpose  and  its  offerings, 
than  at  Salt  Lake  City,  the  Capital  of  Mormondom. 

Utah  today  has  become  a  great  state.  Ellsworth  Huntington 
has  recently  written  in  his  book,  entitled  Civilization  and  Climate: 


18  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Day 


The  proud  position  of  Utah  is  presumably  the  result  of  Mormonism. 
The  leaders  of  that  faith  have  had  the  wisdom  to  insist  on  a  thorough 
system  of  schools,  and  have  obliged  the  children  to  attend  them.  The 
"Gentiles"  have  in  self-defense  been  forced  to  do  equally  well,  and  the 
result  has  been  admirable.  Whatever  one  may  think  of  Mormonism  as  a 
religious  belief,  it  must  be  credited  with  having  accomplished  a  remarkable 
work  in  spreading  a  moderate  degree  of  education  almost  universally 
among  the  people  of  Utah. 

Count  Hermann  Keyserling,  the  noted  German  philosopher  and 
historian,  came  to  Salt  Lake  City  a  few  years  ago  and  afterwards 
wrote  in  his  Travel  Diary  of  a  Philosopher  these  words: 

The  Mormons  have  achieved  a  civilization  hardly  attained  by  any 
other  people.  In  barely  half  a  century  they  have  changed  a  salt-desert 
into  a  garden.  They  are  moreover  admirable  citizens,  law-abiding,  honest, 
and  progressive. 

Missionaries  to  Teach  World 

You  missionaries  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior,  are  taught  the 
divine  precepts  of  the  religion  of  the  Master,  and  you  go  forth  in 
all  the  world  to  teach.  Out  of  the  faith  of  your  fathers  you  take 
to  peoples  all  that  is  holy  and  pure  and  of  good  report.  Your  zeal 
and  self-devotion  shall  be  increased.  Your  heavenly  aspirations, 
your  human  sympathies,  your  endless  deeds  of  charity  will  bring 
you  the  hearts  of  the  people.  You  need  never  hesitate,  for  you 
have  entered  upon  your  many  duties  and  responsibilities,  your 
trials  and  discouragements  "with  the  zeal  of  Peter  and  the  gentle- 
ness of  John."  Well  may  you  read  the  words  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  as  he  wrote  in  the  Articles  of  Faith: 

We  believe  in  being  honest,  true,  chaste,  benevolent,  virtuous,  and 
in  doing  good  to  all  men;  indeed,  we  may  say  that  we  follow  the  admoni- 
tion of  Paul— We  believe  all  things,  we  hope  all  things,  we  have  endured 
many  things,  and  hope  to  be  able  to  endure  all  things.  If  there  is  anything 
virtuous,  lovely,  or  of  good  report  or  praiseworthy,  we  seek  after  these 
things.    (Thirteenth  Article  of  Faith.) 

ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

I  am  sure  I  never  fully  realize  how  much  I  need  help  until  I  ac- 
tually arrive  at  this  moment  and  this  place,  and  I  earnestly  hope  that 
I  shall  have  it. 

Advice  Given  to  Moses 

I  should  like  to  read  as  preface  to  the  few  remarks  that  I  shall 
make,  some  verses  from  the  eighteenth  chapter  of  Exodus: 

And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  morrow,  that  Moses  sat  to  judge  the. 
people;  and  the  people  stood  by  Moses  from  the  morning  unto  the  evening. 


ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 


19 


And  when  Moses'  father  in  law  saw  all  that  he  did  to  the  people,  he 
said,  What  is  this  thing  that  thou  doest  to  the  people?  Why  sittest  thou 
thyself  alone,  and  all  the  people  stand  by  thee  from  morning  unto  even? 

And  Moses  said  unto  his  father  in  law,  Because  the  people  come  unto 
me  to  enquire  of  God: 

When  they  have  a  matter,  they  come  unto  me;  and  I  judge  between 
one  and  another,  and  I  do  make  them  know  the  statutes  of  God,  and  his 
laws. 

And  Moses'  father  in  law  said  unto  him,  the  thing  that  thou  doest  is 
not  good. 

Thou  wilt  surely  wear  away,  both  thou,  and  this  people  that  is  with 
thee:  for  this  thing  is  too  heavy  for  thee;  thou  art  not  able  to  perform 
it  thyself  alone. 

Hearken  now  unto  my  voice,  I  will  give  thee  counsel,  and  God  shall 
be  with  thee:  Be  thou  for  the  people.  .  .  . 

And  thou  shalt  teach  them  ordinances  and  laws,  and  shalt  shew  them 
the  way  wherein  they  must  walk,  and  the  work  that  they  must  do. 

Moreover  thou  shalt  provide  out  of  all  the  people  able  men,  such  as 
fear  God,  men  of  truth,  hating  covetousness;  and  place  such  over  them, 
to  be  rulers  of  thousands,  and  rulers  of  hundreds,  rulers  of  fifties,  and  rulers 
of  tens: 

And  let  them  judge  the  people  at  all  seasons:  and  it  shall  be,  that 
every  great  matter  they  shall  bring  unto  thee,  but  every  small  matter  they 
shall  judge:  so  shall  it  be  easier  for  thyself,  and  they  shall  bear  the  burden 
with  thee. 

If  thou  shalt  do  this  thing,  and  God  command  thee  so,  then  thou 
shalt  be  able  to  endure,  and  all  this  people  shall  also  go  to  their  place  in 
peace. 

So  Moses  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  his  father  in  law,  and  did  all  that 
he  had  said.    (Exodus  18:13-24.) 

Delegation  of  Responsibility 

There  is  a  profound  wisdom  in  this  early  utterance  concerning 
the  delegation  of  authority  and  of  responsibility  and  of  work.  Surely 
it  must  be  evident  to  every  thinking  person  that  there  comes  a  time 
when,  no  matter  how  able  or  willing  a  man  may  be,  he  cannot  further 
extend  himself  so  far  as  person-to-person  communication  and  effort 
are  concerned.  As  surely  as  this  Church  grows,  it  must  be  apparent  to 
everyone  that  a  greater  sense  of  responsibility  must  rest  with  all  those 
who  have  membership  in  it  and  by  that  membership,  therefore,  have 
a  responsibility  for  it. 

I  called  attention  on  one  previous  occasion,  I  think,  to  the  num- 
ber of  days  a  man  may  reasonably  expect  to  live — assuming  that  the 
scriptural  allotment  of  three  score  and  ten  years  were  granted  each 
of  us.  If  you  will  get  out  your  pencil  and  paper  and  multiply  seventy 
by  three  hundred  sixty-five,  it  will  total  about  twenty-five  thousand 
days,  which  means  that  if  we  were  to  spend  one  day  each  with  twenty- 
five  thousand  different  people,  our  lives  would  be  gone.  This  would 
indicate  the  limit  of  our  personal  ability  to  spend  time  with  individual 
people.  But  we  can  extend  ourselves  in  other  ways.  We  are  extend- 
ing ourselves  today  by  television.  For  many  years  we  have  extended 
ourselves  by  radio.  We  can  extend  ourselves  in  print  and  by  all  other 
means  of  mass  communication  and  by  delegating  responsibility  to 


20  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Dai} 


other  people.  But  in  person-to-person  appointments  in  this  Church 
and  out  of  it.  there  is  a  limit  to  which  a  man  can  extend  himself — a 
truth  which  the  father-in-law  of  Moses  discovered  and  expressed 
many  centuries  ago,  and  which  is  a  still  more  pressing  truth  in  our 
day  as  the  Church  and  its  responsibilities  grow. 

Activity  of  Membership 

One  of  the  great  elements  of  strength  in  this  Church  is  the  activ- 
ity of  its  membership,  the  individual  testimony  and  responsibility  of 
every  member  in  it,  in  the  priesthood  quorums  and  otherwise.  And  we 
must,  of  course,  delegate  authority  and  responsibility.  The  Lord  has 
done  it  to  us;  he  has  trusted  us;  and  we  must  trust  our  brethren  and 
our  fellow  men  in  like  manner.  We  shall  all  make  mistakes,  but  if  the 
Lord  with  his  patience  and  his  wisdom  can  so  long  endure  our  fum- 
bling and  faltering,  if  he  can  stand  by  and  watch  his  children  as  they 
work  out  their  own  salvation,  surely  we  can  well  afford  to  watch  the 
performance  of  one  another  as  each  of  us  attempts  to  work  out  his 
own  salvation  and  to  take  responsibility  of  the  work  of  the  Church  as 
a  whole  and  for  the  salvation  of  one  another. 

I  remember  on  one  occasion  some  months  ago,  when  Brother 
George  Q.  Morris  was  called  to  preside  over  the  Eastern  States  Mis- 
sion, a  farewell  testimonial  was  being  given  for  him  by  one  of  the 
general  boards  of  the  M.I. A.  As  a  book  was  being  presented  to  him 
on  that  occasion,  Sister  Emily  Bennett,  I  believe  it  was,  who  was  mak- 
ing the  presentation,  offered  some  apology  because  she  didn't  know 
whether  or  not  he  had  that  particular  book  in  his  library — but  they 
were  presenting  it  to  him  anyway.  President  Clark,  as  I  recall,  followed 
her  and  somewhat  facetiously  (and  yet,  I  believe,  somewhat  seriously) 
said,  "Why  didn't  you  ask  the  First  Presidency  whether  Brother 
Morris  had  this  book  in  his  library — others,  it  seems,  don't  hesitate  to 
ask  almost  anything  and  everything  of  them." 

Now,  the  First  Presidency,  and  all  the  other  brethren,  I  earnestly 
believe,  are  very  willing  to  do  what  they  can  do,  to  the  full  limit  of 
their  time  and  strength,  and  certainly  when  people  have  questions  and 
problems,  they  must  feel  free  to  ask  someone  the  answers.  A  man 
should  not  carry  an  unanswered  question  around  with  him  and  let  it 
canker  within  him  without  being  able  to  ask  for  the  answer.  But  I  am 
sure  that  so  far  as  the  Church  to  its  broad  extent  is  concerned,  indi- 
vidual audiences  with  the  First  Presidency  and  with  the  other  breth- 
ren shall  be  proportionately  fewer.  And  greater  and  greater  and  wider 
and  wider,  responsibility  on  the  part  of  all  of  us,  down  to  the  young- 
est and  least  able,  must  be  the  watchword  for  the  accomplishment  of 
the  things  that  need  to  be  accomplished. 

Shortcuts 

I  don't  know  why  the  Lord  is  content  to  let  us  move  by  the  slow 
means,  or  at  least  by  the  seemingly  slow  means  by  which  we  some- 


ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 


21 


times  seem  to  move.  But  the  fact  that  he  is  content  to  let  us  move  so 
slowly  must  be  significant,  and  it  may  be  that  some  of  the  shortcuts 
that  are  sometimes  suggested  would  not  be  good  for  us,  individually 
or  as  a  Church. 

I  recall  that  a  personality  of  great  brilliance  named  Lucifer  had 
some  very  drastic  shortcuts  to  suggest  and  they  were  rejected  of  our 
Father  in  heaven. 

I  am  reminded  of  another  story  concerning  a  shortcut  that  my 
able  associate  on  Temple  Square,  Brother  Marion  D.  Hanks,  invited 
to  my  attention  sometime  ago.  It  was  an  incident  related  by  the  late 
Justice  Sutherland  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  Some  years 
ago,  he  recalled  a  group  of  men,  who  had  ascended  the  Arch  of  Tri- 
umph in  Paris,  and  one  very  brilliant  young  man  among  them  was 
theorizing  as  to  the  various  ways  of  descending.  There  were  the 
stairs  down  which  they  could  laboriously  and  slowly  descend,  or  one 
could  jump  over  the  edge  of  the  monument  and  thus  be  down  much 
sooner.  Then  the  brilliant  young  man  proceeded  to  demonstrate  his 
theory:  he  jumped  over  the  edge,  and  the  next  day  they  buried  him. 

I  think  some  of  the  shortcuts  suggested  these  days  in  the  world 
(and  maybe  some  of  the  shortcuts  suggested  among  us)  may  be  in 
this  category.  It  serves  the  purposes  of  God,  apparently,  to  work 
through  men,  imperfect  as  they  are.  Certainly  there  are  many  things 
that  he  could  accomplish  more  rapidly  than  by  letting  us  do  them  in 
our  fumbling  and  faltering  way.  Certainly  he  could  send  armies  of 
angels  to  accomplish  the  things  he  has  placed  on  our  shoulders  if  he 
chose  to  do  so.  Jesus  said  to  his  own  generation  that  God  could  raise 
up  children  unto  Abraham  from  the  very  stones.  I  think  all  this  must 
lead  us  to  only  one  conclusion,  which  is  basic  in  this  Church:  that  the 
Lord  lets  us  move  as  we  move  because  it  is  his  purpose  and  glory  to 
bring  to  pass  our  eternal  and  everlasting  salvation,  our  immortality 
and  eternal  life;  and  if  he  were  to  take  some  of  these  shortcuts,  it 
might  do  the  work  without  developing  the  individual. 

"We,  the  People" 

Men  are  only  at  their  best  and  most  effective  under  conditions 
of  voluntary  cooperation  and  never  under  conditions  of  coercion. 
When  President  Smith  mentioned  earlier  this  morning  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States,  the  first  line  from  the  preamble  came  to  my 
mind: 

We,  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect 
union, 

"We,  the  people" — it  was  not  an  edict  from  some  tall  tower 
directing  that  some  mass  of  people  should  do  something  regardless 
of  their  own  wishes.  "We  the  people"  do  this.  Men  are  most  effective 
under  conditions  of  voluntary  cooperation,  and  that  is  one  of  the  great 


22  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Dull 


pillars  of  strength  of  this  Church.  The  free  agency  of  man  is  basic. 
We  are  committed  to  it,  and  corollary  with  it  is  our  own  individual 
initiative  and  willing  cooperation  in  a  great  cause. 

Now  I  have  no  concern  as  to  the  ability  of  our  Father  in  heaven 
to  accomplish  his  purposes  in  the  earth.  He  could  raise  up  children  to 
Abraham  from  the  very  rocks.  He  could  send  armies  of  angels.  He 
could  take  these  and  other  shortcuts.  He  could  no  doubt  do  many 
things  much  more  quickly,  but  he  is  interested  in  us,  in  our  initiative, 
in  our  development,  in  our  agency,  in  our  voluntary  willingness  to 
cooperate  one  with  another,  and  to  move  toward  his  purposes  for  our 
own  soul's  salvation  as  well  as  for  the  good  of  his  work  in  the  earth. 

I  pray  that  we  may  each  of  us  sense  our  responsibility  in  the 
world  and  in  the  Church,  and  that  we  who  have  responsibility  for  any 
part  of  the  work  may  learn  to  delegate  detail  as  occasion  requires  and 
trust  these  men,  our  brethren,  and  these  women,  our  sisters,  to  do 
their  part  in  pushing  forward  the  things  that  need  to  be  done,  and  to 
feel  a  sense  of  responsibility  as  concerns  carrying  forward  this  work. 

I  should  like  to  leave  with  you  my  conviction  concerning  the 
truthfulness  and  ultimate  destiny  of  those  things  to  which  we  are 
committed  in  this  Church,  which  we  earnestly  accept  as  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  I  do  it  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  beloved  brothers  and  sisters:  Six  years  ago  at  the  October 
conference  of  the  Church  you  sustained  me  as  one  of  the  General 
Authorities.  In  spite  of  my  weaknesses  and  limitations,  I  stand 
here  today  to  testify  to  you  of  the  joy  and  the  happiness  which 
have  been  mine  during  those  six  glorious  years.  For  four  and 
one-half  years  of  the  six,  I  have  had  the  opportunity  of  traveling 
among  the  stakes  of  Zion,  meeting  the  stake  presidencies,  high 
councils,  bishoprics,  and  Saints,  and  also  visiting  the  missions 
of  the  Church  and  meeting  the  people  there.  It  has  been  a  price- 
less experience.  In  no  other  place  in  all  the  world  can  anyone  be 
privileged  to  enjoy  the  association  of  such  fine  men  and  women  as 
those  who  constitute  the  leadership  of  the  stakes  and  wards  of 
Zion  and  the  missions  and  branches  of  the  Church.  I  am  deeply 
grateful  for  all  your  kindness. 

As  though  this  were  not  enough,  I  have  had  the  glorious 
privilege  of  a  close  and  intimate  association  with  the  leadership 
of  the  Church,  the  General  Authorities.  I  have  always  loved 
them,  but  I  have  never  loved  them  as  much  as  I  do  today.  Any  one 
of  them  would  give  his  all,  including  life  itself,  if  necessary,  for  the 
establishment  of  this  great  work  and  the  upbuilding  of  the  kingdom. 
With  all  my  heart,  I  sustain  them  and  love  them  and  commend  to 
you,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  their  example  and  counsel. 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON  23 


Some  few  months  ago  following  a  general  conference  of  the 
Church,  I  received  a  letter  from  a  young  man  in  this  city.  He  had 
been  impressed  with  something  that  had  been  said  regarding  mis- 
sionary work.  In  his  letter  he  asked  the  question — after  indicating 
that  he  was  not  a  member  of  the  Church — "Why  do  you  people 
of  the  Mormon  faith  send  missionaries  out  into  the  world,  particu- 
larly to  Christian  nations?  Why  do  you  not  confine  your  program 
to  the  non-Christian  people?" 

If  the  Lord  will  bless  me,  I  should  like  to  attempt  to  answer 
that  question,  within  the  limits  of  the  time  available  and  my  own 
personal  limitations. 

Church  Established  by  Christ 

It  is  a  common  belief  of  all  sects  professing  Christianity  that 
Jesus  the  Christ  established  his  divine  Church  here  on  the  earth 
during  his  ministry  among  men.  He  came  during  a  period  of 
comparative  peace.  The  religious  world  was  divided  into  two 
camps — the  pagans  of  various  sects  and  the  Jews.  The  Jews  alone 
were  worshiping  the  true  and  Living  God.  Even  they  were 
divided  among  themselves,  the  principal  groups  being  the  Pharisees, 
Sadducees,  and  Essenes.  There  was  also  a  mixture  of  the  Jewish 
and  pagan  philosophies  in  the  Samaritan  group. 

But  Christ  came  with  his  message  indicating  that  the  law  of 
Moses  was  fulfilled  in  him.  He  brought  a  higher  law,  a  law  of 
love,  the  gospel  of  love,  and  he  established  his  Church.  He  selected 
officers.  We  read  of  the  apostles,  the  seventies,  bishops,  elders, 
priests,  teachers,  and  deacons,  and  one  of  the  members  of  that 
body  of  leaders  later  said  that  these  officers  should  remain  in  the 
Church  for  the  purpose  of 

.  .  .  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for 
the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ: 

Till  we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the  faith.    (Eph.  4:12-13.) 

The  Master  selected  his  Twelve.  He  named  them;  he  sent  them 
forth  with  the  message,  "the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  They 
went  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  House  of  Israel  and  later,  through 
divine  direction,  to  the  Gentiles  as  well.  Others  were  called,  and 
the  seventy,  following  their  first  mission,  came  back  rejoicing  that 
even  the  devils  had  been  subject  to  them  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

There  was  a  spirit  of  unity  among  the  members,  a  spirit  of 
brotherhood;  there  was  a  spirit  of  oneness.  They  enjoyed  rich 
spiritual  gifts.  Simple  ordinances  were  performed  by  men  who 
had  authority  and  had  been  commissioned.  The  apostolic  ministry 
was  characterized  by  every  evidence  that  those  engaged  in  it  had 
divine  authority  to  carry  the  message  of  the  gospel  and  to  ad- 
minister in  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom.  They  went  forth  freely 
without  pay,  because  the  Master  had  said,  "freely  ye  have  re- 


24  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Dag 


ceived,  freely  give."  Peter,  apparently  the  senior  apostle,  directed 
the  activities  of  the  Church. 

In  44  A.  D.  a  council  of  the  Church  membership  was  called 
in  Jerusalem,  with  Peter  presiding.  According  to  the  records,  cer- 
tain differences  were  adjusted  at  that  conference,  under  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Later  the  apostles  scattered;  persecu- 
tion was  heaped  upon  them;  and  so  far  as  we  know,  they  never 
met  again  in  a  general  conference  of  the  Church.  The  activities 
of  Paul  centered  at  Antioch,  but  during  the  period  from  68  A.  D. 
to  100  A.  D.,  it  appeared  that  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  original  apostles, 
who  had  the  authority  to  direct  the  kingdom — to  direct  the  affairs 
of  the  Church — had  passed  from  the  earth. 

Beginning  of  Apostasy 

Waves  of  persecution  continued,  dissension  crept  in,  political 
influence  was  in  evidence.  According  to  the  writers  of  the  second 
century,  which  are  usually  passed  over  in  silence  by  many  of  the 
religious  leaders  of  the  world  today,  the  teachings  were  orthodox 
to  quite  an  extent  during  the  first  century  and  into  the  second 
century  following  the  advent  of  the  Master.  But  even  during 
this  period  there  was  evidence  that  an  apostasy  was  beginning.  As 
Constantine  came  to  the  throne  of  the  Roman  empire,  there  was  a 
spirit  of  tolerance  shown  toward  all  religious  groups.  Finally, 
tolerance  increased  toward  the  Christians  until  Constantine  him- 
self more  or  less  espoused  their  cause. 

Great  changes  were  now  in  evidence.  Some  would  have  us 
believe  that  the  bishop  of  Rome,  about  this  time,  became  the  head 
of  the  Church.  There  were  many  bishops  presiding  over  local 
congregations — churches  as  they  were  called — but  none  of  them  had 
authority,  as  had  been  given  to  the  Twelve,  to  direct  Church  af- 
fairs. In  fact,  the  records  indicate  that  at  least  two  of  the  bishops 
of  Rome  died  while  John,  the  Apostle  was  still  known  among  men. 
Evidently,  one  was  living  when  John  received  his  last  great  revelation 
recorded  in  the  Book  of  Revelation.  None  of  these  had  the  authority, 
nor  assumed  authority,  to  direct  the  church  established  by  Christ  and 
his  apostles. 

In  the  council  called  by  Constantine,  the  emperor,  in  325  A.D. 
(Council  of  Nicaea),  which  was  apparently  the  first  conference 
called  subsequent  to  the  one  that  was  held  in  Jerusalem  in  44  A.D., 
we  are  told  that  only  about  one-sixth  of  the  bishops  were  in  at- 
tendance, and  that  the  bishop  of  Rome  was  absent  from  that  im- 
portant meeting.  The  emperor  directed  the  council  although  he 
was  not  even  baptized.  According  to  the  records  we  have,  there 
was  evidently  no  unity  and  no  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  present  at 
the  meeting,  but  force  and  intrigue  were  used  in  an  effort  to  bring 
political  unity  for  political  purposes.  In  fact,  our  best  authorities 
seem  to  indicate  that  it  must  have  been  approximately  354  A.  D. 
before  Peter,  the  Apostle,  was  ever  referred  to  as  a  bishop. 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 


25 


Principles  and  Ordinances  Changed 

But  long  before  this  time,  evidences  of  apostasy  had  set  in. 
The  corrupting  of  the  simple  principles  of  the  gospel,  the  introduc- 
tion of  pagan  philosophies,  the  unwarranted  and  unauthorized  ad- 
dition of  certain  man-made  ceremonies,  changes  in  organization 
and  in  government — all  these  and  more  were  in  evidence. 

There  isn't  time  to  go  into  a  detailed  discussion  of  the  changes 
made,  but  we  may  take  as  an  example  the  simple  ordinance  of 
baptism,  performed  by  immersion,  by  those  having  authority,  fol- 
lowing which  hands  of  the  priesthood  were  laid  upon  the  heads 
of  the  baptized  members  and  the  Holy  Ghost  conferred.  Shortly 
after  the  passing  of  the  apostles,  this  ordinance  was  greatly  modi- 
fied. The  mode  of  baptism  was  changed.  There  came  a  time 
when  baptism  was  recognized  whether  or  not  men  held  or  even 
claimed  authority.  They  even  went  to  the  point  of  indicating  that 
authority  was  not  necessary.  The  baptism  of  infants  was  intro- 
duced. Adults  who  were  baptized  were  treated  as  infants  and 
fed  on  milk  and  honey  for  a  period.  The  use  of  oil  was  intro- 
duced into  the  ordinance. 

The  sacred  ordinance  of  the  sacrament  was  changed,  that 
simple  and  impressive  ordinance  introduced  by  the  Master.  The 
doctrine  of  transubstantiation  was  taught  and  actual  idolatry  and 
the  worship  of  the  emblems  introduced.  A  change  was  made  in 
the  selection  of  officers.  Nominations  had  been  made  by  the 
Apostles  who  had  that  authority.  No  longer  was  the  principle  of 
common  consent,  which  had  been  a  part  of  the  early  Church,  prac- 
tised and  followed.  Members  of  the  Church  were  forbidden  to 
read  the  scriptures,  although  the  Master  had  said,  "Search  the 
scriptures:  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life."  (John  5.39.) 

Abominable  Practices  Introduced 

Many  other  practices  were  introduced,  one  of  the  most  serious, 
and  I  am  sure  one  of  the  most  abominable  in  the  sight  of  God,  was 
the  selling  of  indulgences.  This  practice  was  based  on  the  false 
theory  that  there  was  a  treasure  of  merit — that  certain  of  the 
saints  and  others  through  their  works  had  performed  more  than 
was  required  for  their  salvation — and  therefore,  there  was  a 
treasure  available  upon  which  others  might  draw,  who  through 
their  unrighteous  lives  may  be  short  of  the  requirements  for  salva- 
tion. The  doctrine  of  infallibility,  the  worship  of  relics,  the  intro- 
duction of  pomp,  ceremony,  and  mysteries,  the  use  of  incense,  the 
worship  of  martyrs,  applause  to  show  the  relative  popularity  of 
speakers  in  the  Church,  and  even  the  purchase  of  office  were 
approved  and  practised.  Rivalry,  strife,  and  disunity  were  rampant, 
probably  reaching  a  climax  when  the  bishop  of  Rome  excommuni- 
cated the  patriarch  of  Constantinople  and  the  patriarch  in  turn 
excommunicated  the  bishop. 


26  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Dsn 


There  remained  then,  only  human  churches,  without  authority, 
which  had  excommunicated  each  other.  Surely  the  apostasy  was 
now  complete. 

Apostasy  Predicted 

As  the  restored  Church,  we  affirm  that  with  the  passing  of  the 
apostolic  age,  the  Church  drifted  into  a  condition  of  apostasy,  that 
succession  in  the  priesthood  was  broken,  and  that  the  Church,  as 
an  earthly  organization  operating  under  divine  direction  and 
having  authority  to  officiate  in  spiritual  ordinances,  ceased  to 
exist.  This  is  attested  by  history.  We  affirm  also  that  all  this 
was  foreseen  and  predicted  by  the  apostles  when  they  were  living, 
yea,  and  by  the  Master  in  his  day.  The  apostasy  had  started  dur- 
ing the  days  of  the  Apostles,  and  was  referred  to  frequently  by  them. 

You  are  acquainted  with  the  quotation  in  Paul's  reference  to 
the  situation  as  he  met  with  the  elders  of  Ephesus  for  the  last  time 
when  he  said, 

For  I  know  this,  that  after  my  departing  shall  grievous  wolves  enter 
in  among  you,  not  sparing  the  flock.    (Acts  20:29.) 

Then  his  letter  to  the  Thessalonians, 

Let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any  means:  for  that  day  shall  not  come 

— the  Second  Coming  of  the  Master — 

except  there  come  a  falling  away  first.    (II  Thessalonians  2:3.) 

To  the  Galatians  Paul  referred  to  the  apostasy  already  under  way, 
and  marveled  that  they  were  so  soon  removed  from  him  that  had 
called  them,  into  another  gospel.  He  chastised  them  for  so  doing, 
and  pointed  out  that  there  was  only  one  gospel  plan.  (Gal.  1:6-8.) 

Peter  spoke  of 

.  .  .  false  prophets  also  among  the  people,  even  as  there  shall  be  false 
teachers  among  you,  who  privily  shall  bring  in  damnable  heresies  .  .  . 
and  bring  upon  themselves  swift  destruction.    (II  Peter  2:1.) 

In  fact,  in  the  great  vision  given  to  John  while  on  the  Isle  of 
Patmos,  he  refers  to  the  few  churches  worthy  of  his  note  as  being 
"neither  cold  nor  hot."  (Rev.  3:15.)  In  reference  to  the  restoration 
of  the  gospel,  the  passage  often  quoted  (Rev.  14:6-7)  is  a  clear 
evidence  that  the  apostasy  was  to  be  complete,  for  when  John  re- 
ceived this  revelation,  indicating  a  condition  of  the  future,  he  saw 
an  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven,  "having  the  ever- 
lasting gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth." 

Even  in  the  Old  Testament,  prophets  had  prophesied  in  a 
similar  manner.    Isaiah  indicated  that  the  earth  would  be 

defiled  under  the  inhabitants  thereof  because  they  have  transgressed 
the  laws,  changed  the  ordinance,  broken  the  everlasting  covenant. 
(Isaiah  24:5.) 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 


27 


Nowhere  is  the  law  of  Moses  referred  to  as  an  everlasting  cove- 
nant. The  everlasting  covenant  is  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amos 
had  spoken  of  a  famine  that  should  come  in  the  land  for  "hearing 
the  words  of  the  Lord"  and  that  people  would  "run  to  and  fro 
to  seek  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  not  find  it."  (Amos  8:11.) 

Not  only  by  history,  which  is  quite  conclusive,  but  through 
prophecy  also  we  have  been  informed  definitely  that  there  was 
and  there  would  be  a  complete  apostasy  from  the  truth.  Many 
of  the  early  reformers  recognized  this  fact  as  they  struck  out 
against  the  false  teachings  and  practises  of  their  day.  Wesley, 
the  founder  of  Methodism,  lamented  that  the  "Christians  had 
turned  heathen  again  and  had  only  a  dead  form  left."  Even  here 
in  America,  Roger  Williams,  head  of  the  oldest  Baptist  congrega- 
tion in  the  land,  recognized,  as  he  quit  the  ministry,  that  there 
was  no  divinely  constituted  authority  or  church  upon  the  face 
of  the  earth,  nor  would  there  be  such  a  church  until  one  arose 
having  apostles  and  other  officers  as  found  in  the  church  estab- 
lished in  the  Meridian  of  Time. 

Apostasy  Attested  Fact 

It  is  an  attested  fact  that  as  Joseph  Smith,  a  humble  boy,  went 
into  the  woods  to  pray  on  that  beautiful  spring  morning  in  1820, 
the  world — Christian  and  otherwise — was  in  a  sad  state  of  apostasy. 
The  answer  given  to  him  is  to  me  the  greatest  evidence  we  have 
in  all  the  world  that  there  had  been  an  apostasy  from  the  truth. 
When  he  beheld  those  two  glorious  beings,  the  one  pointed  to  the 
other  and  said,  "This  is  My  Beloved  Son.  Hear  Him."  And  after 
Joseph  had  asked  the  question,  "which  of  all  the  sects  was  right," 
what  was  the  answer  that  he  received?  These  are  his  words: 

I  was  answered  that  I  must  join  none  of  them,  for  they  were  all 
wrong:  .  .  .  they  teach  for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men,  having  a 
form  of  godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power  thereof. 

He  [the  Son]  again  forbade  me  to  join  with  any  of  them.  (P.  of 
G.  P.,  Joseph  Smith  2:19-20.) 

True  Church  Re-established 

Later,  the  Prophet  Joseph  was  commanded  to  go  forth  as  an 
instrument  in  the  hands  of  God  and  organize  the  Church,  to 
publish  to  the  world  as  an  added  testimony  to  the  divinity  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Book  of  Mormon  which  was  taken  from  the  sacred  rec- 
ords. The  Church  was  organized,  and  through  revelation  its 
name,  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  was  given, 
as  referred  to  earlier  by  President  Smith.  Then  after  a  few  months 
had  elapsed,  while  the  elders  were  in  special  conference  considering 
the  matter  of  the  publication  of  the  revelations  that  had  been  re- 
ceived up  to  that  time,  the  Lord  spoke  through  the  Prophet  and 
gave  a  very  significant  revelation  and  indicated  that  it  should  be 
the  preface  to  the  Lord's  Book  of  Commandments.    In  that  revela- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 


tion  we  find  these  significant  words,  referring  to  the  Lord's  servants 
who  would  have  the  responsibility  of  carrying  the  message  to  the 
world  and  establishing  the  kingdom.    Said  the  Lord: 

And  also  those  to  whom  these  commandments  were  given,  might  have 
power  to  lay  the  foundation  of  this  church,  and  to  bring  it  forth  out  of 
obscurity  and  out  of  darkness,  the  only  true  and  living  church  upon  the 
face  of  the  whole  earth,  with  which  I,  the  Lord,  am  well  pleased,  speaking 
unto  the  church  collectively  and  not  individually — (D.  &  C.  1:30;  Italics 
author's. ) 

These  are  not  our  words.  These  are  words  of  him  who 
established  his  Church  anciently,  and  through  whose  ministry  it 
has  been  re-established  and  restored  in  the  day  and  age  in  which 
we  live. 


Now,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  that  is  why  we  send  missionaries 
out  into  the  world,  because  this  message  is  a  world  message.  It  is 
the  truth  restored.  The  Lord  indicated  this  fact  in  that  same 
revelation,  in  the  opening  verse,  in  which  he  said: 

Hearken,  O  ye  people  of  my  church,  saith  the  voice  of  him  who 
dwells  on  high,  and  whose  eyes  are  upon  all  men;  yea,  verily  I  say: 
Hearken  ye  people  from  afar;  and  ye  that  are  upon  the  islands  of  the 
sea,  listen  together. 

For  verily  the  voice  of  the  Lord  is  unto  all  men,  and  there  is  none 
to  escape;  ...  (D.  &  C.  1:1-2.) 

This  restoration  of  the  gospel,  the  bringing  back  of  light  and 
truth,  is  intended  for  the  benefit  and  blessing  of  all  God's  children. 
And  so,  humbly  and  gratefully,  our  missionaries  go  out  into  the 
world  to  proclaim  that  there  has  been  an  apostasy  from  the 
truth,  but  that  through  the  goodness  of  God  the  heavens  have 
again  been  opened  and  the  gospel  revealed  unto  man  through 
Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet. 

I  am  grateful  for  this  knowledge.  To  me  it  is  the  most  precious 
thing  in  all  the  world.  I  would  to  God  that  all  within  the  sound  of 
my  -voice,  and  all  God's  children  everywhere,  could  know  of  the 
sweetness  of  the  gospel  and  what  it  means  to  hold  the  priesthood 
and  to  feel  the  fellowship  and  brotherhood  which  we  have  in  the 
Church — yes,  to  know  of  the  security  that  comes  to  the  heart  of 
man  as  a  testimony  of  the  truth  is  borne  in  upon  his  soul. 


I  testify  to  you  this  day  that  these  things  are  true,  that  this 
is  the  work  of  God.  I  bear  this  testimony  knowing  full  well  that 
eventually  I  must  stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of  God,  as  you 
my  brethren  and  sisters  will  be  required  to  do.  I  testify  in  all 
humility  that  God  has  again  spoken  from  the  heavens,  following 


A  Message  for  the  World 


Testimony 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  29 


a  long  period  of  apostasy,  that  he  has  raised  up  a  prophet,  that 
Joseph  Smith  was  the  instrument  in  his  hands  in  restoring  again 
to  the  earth  the  Holy  Priesthood,  the  true  Church  organization  with 
all  the  blessings  enjoyed  in  former  days,  and  even  more,  because 
this  is  the  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times.  I  bear  this  testi- 
mony to  you  in  all  humility  and  with  gratitude  in  my  heart,  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


President  George  Albert  Smith: 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  will  sing  as  a  concluding 
number,  "How  Lovely  Are  Thy  Dwellings.'^  The  closing  prayer  will 
be  offered  by  President  Wendell  B.  Mendenhall  of  the  San  Joaquin 
Stake  in  California. 

After  these  things  have  been  accomplished  this  conference  will 
be  adjourned  until  2  o'clock  this  afternoon. 

The  afternoon  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  at  Salt  Lake 
City  and  by  arrangement  with  KSL  over  the  other  stations  to  which 
you  are  now  listening.  The  conference  will  also  be  broadcast  over  the 
television  station  of  KSL,  channel  5. 

The  audience  should  be  seated  not  later  than  ten  minutes  be- 
fore the  hour. 

Any  important  messages  and  calls  that  have  come  to  us  for  per- 
sons supposed  to  be  in  attendance  at  the  conference  will  be  announced 
at  the  dismissal  of  the  meeting  over  the  loud-speaking  system  on  the 
grounds.  Everyone  would  do  well  to  listen  carefully  to  such  announce- 
ments. 

The  choir  music  for  this  session  has  been  furnished  by  the  Relief 
Society  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region  and  the  four 
Provo  stakes  with  Sister  Florence  Jepperson  Madsen  conducting  and 
Elder  Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ. 

Now,  brethren  and  sisters,  there  are  many  people  on  these  streets. 
Automobiles  in  many  cases  are  being  operated  by  people  who  do  not 
know  just  exactly  how  dangerous  they  are,  but  you  ought  to  know, 
so  I  am  going  to  suggest  to  you  that  when  you  leave  these  grounds 
you  watch  carefully  if  you  go  into  the  street  at  all  and  wherever  you 
go  during  this  conference  protect  yourself  from  accident  as  far  as 
you  possibly  can  and  if  you  do  that  I  am  sure  our  Heavenly  Father 
will  do  the  rest. 

We  will  now  hear  the  choir  after  which  Brother  Mendenhall 
will  offer  the  benediction. 


Singing  by  the  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers.  "How  Lovely 
Are  Thy  Dwellings." 

The  closing  prayer  was  offered  by  President  Wendell  B.  Men- 
denhall of  the  San  Joaquin  Stake. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2  p.m. 


30  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Day 


FIRST  DAY 
AFTERNOON  MEETING 

The  second  session  of  the  Conference  convened  at  2:00  p.m., 
Friday,  September  30. 

President  George  Albert  Smith  was  present  and  presided;  Presi- 
dent J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.,  First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency, 
conducted  the  services. 

The  choral  music  for  this  session  was  furnished  by  the  Relief 
Society  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region  and  the  four 
Provo  Stakes,  Florence  Jepperson  Madsen  conducting,  Elder  Frank 
W.  Asper  at  the  organ  console. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.: 

This  is  the  second  session  of  the  120th  semi-annual  conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  convened 
in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

The  General  Authorities  are  all  present  except  Brother  Alma 
Sonne  of  the  Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  who  is  in  Europe  in  charge 
of  the  European  Mission;  Brother  Thomas  E.  McKay,  also  of  the 
Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  who  is  at  home  convalescing  by  direction 
of  his  physicians;  and  President  S.  Dilworth  Young  of  the  First 
Council  of  the  Seventy,  who  is  presiding  over  the  New  England 
Mission. 

President  Smith  is  presiding  at  this  session.  He  has  requested 
that  the  speaker,  President  Clark,  conduct  the  services. 

These  services  will  be  broadcast  in  the  Assembly  Hall  over  a 
loud-speaking  system  and  by  television.  All  general  sessions  of  the 
conference  will  be  heard  and  seen  in  the  Assembly  Hall  in  the  same 
way. 

The  proceedings  of  this  session  will  be  broadcast  over  station 
KSL  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  by  arrangement  through  KSL  over  the 
following  stations:  KEYY  at  Pocatello,  KVNU  at  Logan,  KSUB 
at  Cedar  City,  KSVC  at  Richfield,  KJAM  at  Vernal,  KID  at  Idaho 
Falls,  and  KGEM  at  Boise. 

This  session  will  also  be  televised  over  the  KSL  television  station, 
channel  5. 

I  may  say  that  reports  come  to  us  that  there  is  excellent  reception 
of  the  television  picture  at  the  Brigham  Young  University,  where 
hundreds  of  students  are  witnessing  the  conference,  and  as  far  south 
as  Spanish  Fork,  and  it  is  said  that  the  reception  here  in  the  valley 
is  very  good. 

Any  important  messages  and  calls  that  come  to  us  from  persons 
supposed  to  be  in  attendance  at  the  conference  will  be  announced  at 
the  dismissal  of  this  meeting  over  the  loud-speaking  system  on  the 
grounds.  Everyone  would  do  well  to  listen  carefully  to  these  an- 
nouncements. 


REPORT  OF  CHANGES 


31 


The  choir  singing  for  this  session  will  be  by  the  Relief  Society 
Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region  and  the  four  Provo 
stakes,  Sister  Florence  Jepperson  Madsen  conducting  and  Elder 
Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ. 

We  will  begin  the  services  by  the  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers 
rendering,  "Jesus,  Our  Lord,  We  Adore  Thee." 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Alvin  C.  Chace 
of  the  Florida  Stake. 


The  Singing  Mothers  sang,  "Jesus,  Our  Lord,  We  Adore  Thee." 
President  Alvin  C.  Chace  of  the  Florida  Stake  offered  the  in- 
vocation. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  sang,  "The  Twenty-third 
Psalm." 


Elder  Joseph  Anderson,  Clerk  of  the  Conference,  read  the  fol- 
lowing report  of  changes: 

CHANGES  IN  CHURCH  OFFICERS 
STAKE,  WARD,  AND  BRANCH  ORGANIZATIONS 
SINCE  APRIL  CONFERENCE— 1949 

New  Mission  Presidents  Have  Been  Appointed  As  Follows: 

Vinal  G.  Mauss,  president  of  the  Japanese  Mission  to  succeed 
Edward  L.  Clissold. 

Thomas  W.  Gardner,  president  of  Northern  California  Mission 
to  succeed  German  E.  Ellsworth. 

A.  Sherman  Gowans,  president  of  the  Norwegian  Mission  to 
suceed  A.  Richard  Peterson. 

Clarence  F.  Johnson,  president  of  the  Swedish  Mission  to  suc- 
ceed Eben  R.  T.  Blomquist. 

Franklin  J.  Fullmer  (temporary  appointment),  president  of  the 
Tahitian  Mission  to  succeed  Edgar  B.  Mitchell. 

LeRoy  R.  Mallory,  president  of  the  Tahitian  Mission  to  succeed 
Franklin  J.  Fullmer. 

Ray  E.  Dillman,  president  of  the  Western  States  Mission  to 
succeed  Francis  A.  Child. 

New  Stakes  Organized: 

East  Riverside  Stake  organized  by  division  of  Riverside  Stake. 

South  Bear  River  Stake  organized  by  division  of  Bear  River 
Stake. 

Stake  Presidents  Chosen: 

Edward  W.  Burgess,  president  of  the  Alpine  Stake  to  succeed 
Jesse  M.  Walker. 

Reed  H.  Beckstead,  president  of  the  East  Jordan  Stake  to  suc- 
ceed Henry  G.  Tempest. 


32  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Day 


Thaddeus  M.  Evans,  president  of  East  Riverside  Stake. 
Delbert  F.  Wright,  president  of  the  Oakland  Stake  to  succeed 
Eugene  Hilton. 

Shirley  M.  Palmer,  president  of  the  Oneida  Stake  to  succeed 
Paul  R.  Wynn. 

James  Alvin  Criddle,  president  of  the  Portneuf  Stake  to  succeed 
Leo  O.  Hansen. 

Glen  S.  Burt,  president  of  the  Riverside  Stake  to  succeed  John 
B.  Matheson. 

Hollis  G.  Hullinger,  president  of  the  Roosevelt  Stake  to  succeed 
Ray  E.  Dillman. 

Wilford  H.  Payne,  president  of  the  Seattle  Stake  to  succeed 
Monte  L.  Bean. 

George  L.  Rees,  president  of  the  Smithfield  Stake  to  succeed 
W.  Hazen  Hillyard. 

Clifton  G.  M.  Kerr,  president  of  the  South  Bear  River  Stake. 

E.  Garrett  Barlow,  president  of  the  Inglewood  Stake,  to  succeed 
Alfred  E.  Rohner. 

G.  Carlos  Smith,  president  of  the  Big  Cottonwood  Stake,  to 
succeed  Irvin  T.  Nelson. 

New  Wards  Organized: 

Big  Cottonwood  Ward,  Big  Cottonwood  Stake,  formed  by  divi- 
sion of  Cottonwood  Ward. 

Mill  Creek  2nd  Ward,  Cottonwood  Stake,  formed  by  division 
of  Mill  Creek  Ward. 

Murray  4th  Ward,  Cottonwood  Stake,  formed  by  division  of 
Murray  2nd  Ward. 

Murray  5th  Ward,  Cottonwood  Stake,  formed  by  division  of 
Murray  1st  Ward. 

Gunnison  2nd  Ward,  Gunnison  Stake,  formed  by  division  of 
Gunnison  Ward. 

Monte  Vista  Ward,  Hillside  Stake,  formed  by  division  of 
Mountain  View  Ward. 

South  Edgehill  Ward,  Hillside  Stake,  formed  by  division  of 
Edgehill  Ward. 

Soda  Springs  2nd  War-d,  Idaho  Stake,  formed  by  division  of 
Soda  Springs  Ward. 

Orem  1st  Ward,  Orem  Stake,  formed  by  division  of  Vermont 
Ward. 

Phoenix  6th  Ward,  Phoenix  Stake,  formed  by  changing  boun- 
daries of  Phoenix  wards. 

Glendale  Park  Ward,  Pioneer  Stake,  formed  by  division  of 
Cannon,  Edison,  Jordan  Park  and  Poplar  Grove  wards. 

Rosedale  Ward.  Riverside  Stake,  formed  by  division  of  29th 
Ward. 

Rose  Park  Ward,  Riverside  Stake,  formed  by  division  of  29th 
and  Riverside  wards. 


ELDER  JOSEPH  F.  MERRILL  33 

La  Crescenta  Ward.  San  Fernando  Stake,  formed  by  division  of 
Glendale  East  Ward. 

North  Central  Park  Ward,  South  Salt  Lake  Stake,  formed  by 
division  of  Central  Park  Ward. 

Tooele  6th  Ward,  Tooele  Stake,  formed  bv  division  of  Tooele  1st 
Ward. 

Independent  Branches  Made  Wards: 

Carbonville  Ward,  North  Carbon  Stake,  formerly  Carbonville  • 
Branch. 

Kenilworth  Ward,  North  Carbon  Stake,  formerly  Kenilworth 
Branch. 

Airport  Ward,  Riverside  Stake,  formerly  Airport  Branch. 
Stockton  Ward,  Tooele  Stake,  formerly  Stockton  Branch. 

Independent  Branches  Organized : 

Brentwood  Branch,  Berkeley  Stake,  formerly  dependent  upon 
Pittsburg  Ward. 

Fairfield  Branch.  Berkeley  Stake,  formerly  dependent  upon 
Napa  Ward. 

Brooks  Branch,  Lethbridge  Stake,  formerly  dependent  upon 
Rosemary  Ward. 

Kailua  Branch,  Oahu  Stake. 

Sweet  Branch,  Weiser  Stake,  formerly  dependent  upon  Emmctt 
2nd  Ward. 

Ward  Discontinued: 

Metropolis  Ward,  Humboldt  Stake,  disorganized,  membership 
transferred  to  Wells  Ward.  • 

Independent  Branches  Discontinued: 

Montello  Branch,  Humboldt  Stake,  disorganized,  membership 
transferred  to  Wells  Ward. 

Dividend  Branch,  Santaquin-Tintic  Stake,  disorganized,  mem- 
bership transferred  to  Elberta  Branch. 

Greenbelt  Branch,  Washington  Stake,  disorganized,  membership 
transferred  to  Capitol  Ward. 

ELDER  JOSEPH  F.  MERRILL 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

Brethren,  sisters,  and  radio  listeners,  as  a  preliminary  to  other 
remarks  I  would  like  for  a  moment  to  refer  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  mentioned  this  morning  in  both  prayer  and  speech.  It  is  be- 
cause Joseph  Smith  lived  and  functioned  that  we  are  all  here  today, 
and  I  have  said  from  this  stand  and  from  other  stands  that  in  my 
opinion  Joseph  Smith  was  a  most  marvelous  man,  the  greatest  prophet 
this  world  has  ever  seen,  aside  from  Jesus  Christ  himself,  and.  as  I 


34  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday.  September  30 


First  Day 


believe  history  will  declare,  one  of  the  greatest  Americans  that  this 
country  has  ever  known. 

Why  am  I  justified  in  saying  all  this?  I  believe  that  a  real,  seri- 
ous, honest  investigation  of  Joseph  Smith,  from  the  time  of  his  birth  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  will  justify  anyone  who  goes  carefully  into  all 
the  history  and  all  the  things  he  did  in  saying  that  at  least  he  was  a 
most  marvelous  man,  and  in  saying  that,  in  coming  to  that  conclusion, 
such  an  investigator  would  be  guided  by  exactly  the  same  standard 
that  is  used  in  judging  greatness  of  all  other  people:  by  his  works 
shall  he  be  known,  by  his  works  he  should  be  judged.  And  in  my 
opinion  every  honest,  conscientious,  intelligent  man  and  woman,  in 
the  light  of  his  claims,  ought  to  feel  justified  in  going  carefully  into  a 
study  of  this  wonderful  man. 

A  Practical  Religion 

In  the  few  minutes  allotted  to  me  I  desire  to  talk  in  plain,  every- 
day language  of  some  things  that  I  believe  are  important  for  all  of  us 
to  study  and  think  about.  First  of  all,  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
accepted  and  taught  by  the  elders  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  is  a  very  practical  religion — one  that  should  enter 
into  every  phase  of  the  lives  of  its  members,  whether  this  phase  be 
spiritual  or  material.  One  of  our  basic  teachings  is  that  faith  without 
works  is  dead.  ".  .  .  shew  me  thy  faith  without  thy  works,  and  I  will 
shew  thee  my  faith  by  my  works."  (James  2:18.)  Again,  "Not  every 
one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 
(Matt.  7:21.)  Other  of  our  teachings  pertinent  to  my  theme  are  arti- 
cles 12  and  13  of  our  faith: 

We  believe  in  being  subject  to  kings,  presidents,  rulers,  and  magis- 
trates, in  obeying,  honoring  and  sustaining  the  law. 

We  believe  in  being  honest,  true,  chaste,  benevolent,  virtuous,  and  in 
doing  good  to  all  men  .  .  . 

If  we  implement  these  articles  in  our  daily  lives,  we  will  be  good 
family  members,  good  neighbors,  good  citizens,  and  good  Church 
members. 

Constitution  Divinely  Inspired 

Again,  we  teach  that  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  as  it 
came  to  us  from  the  founders  of  this  republic  is  a  divinely  inspired 
document.  From  a  declaration  of  belief  as  found  in  Section  134  of 
The  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  approved  by  unanimous  vote  of 
an  asembly  of  the  Church  held  in  Kirtland,  August  1835,  I  make  the 
following  quotes: 

We  believe  that  governments  were  instituted  of  God  for  the  benefit 
of  man;  and  that  he  holds  men  accountable  for  their  acts  in  relation 
to  them,  both  in  making  laws  and  administering  them,  for  the  good  and 
safety  of  society. 


ELDER  JOSEPH  F.  MERRILL 


35 


We  believe  that  no  government  can  exist  in  peace,  except  such  laws 
are  framed  and  held  inviolate  as  will  secure  to  each  individual  the  free 
exercise  of  conscience,  the  right  and  control  of  property,  and  the  pro- 
tection of  life. 

We  believe  that  all  governments  necessarily  require  civil  officers 
and  magistrates  to  enforce  the  laws  of  the  same;  and  that  such  as  will 
administer  the  law  in  equity  and  justice  should  be  sought  for  and  upheld 
by  the  voice  of  the  people  if  a  republic,  or  the  will  of  the  sovereign. 

Further,  we  also  support  the  statements  in  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  that  all  men 

are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain  unalienable  rights;  that  among 
these  are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  That  to  secure 
these  rights,  governments  are  instituted  among  men,  deriving  their  just 
powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed  .  .  . 

In  the  light  of  the  foregoing  statements,  I  am  sure  that  all  Latter- 
day  Saints  must  believe  that  their  religion  imposes  on  them  the  sacred 
obligation  of  trying  to  be  good  citizens  of  the  country  under  whose 
flag  they  live.  In  this  country — the  United  States — this  obligation, 
among  other  things,  entails  the  duty  to  vote  in  elections  for  public 
officers.  And  for  whom  should  they  vote?  Obviously  for  those  capable 
people  who,  they  believe,  will  be  true,  if  elected,  to  their  oaths  of  of- 
fice; those  who  will  uphold  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and 
the  laws  made  in  harmony  with  it.  To  do  this  is  a  duty  that  every 
loyal  citizen  of  this  country  should  feel  honor-bound  to  discharge. 
The  safety  and  perpetuity  of  our  constitutional  form  of  government 
demands  it,  so  historians  tell  us. 

Critical  Elections 

As  I  view  the  situation,  the  national  elections  in  1950  and  1952 
will  be  among  the  most  critical  and  far-reaching  in  effects  this  country 
has  had  in  a  century.  Powerful  forces  are  being  organized  and  heavily 
financed  to  defeat  in  these  elections  all  candidates  who  voted  for  or 
support  the  Taft-Hartley  labor  law.  If  this  movement  is  successful, 
misguided  leaders  of  some  organized  groups  will  dominate  the  Con- 
gress of  the  United  States,  the  White  House,  and  every  other  office 
of  the  govermnent,  the  functions  of  which  would  help  to  bring  into 
existence  a  welfare  state — that  is,  one  which  would  operate  according 
to  the  principles  of  socialism.  Not  that  these  leaders  favor  such  a  state, 
but  the  things  they  demand  would  inevitably  bring  it  about,  so  wise 
men  say.  The  result  would  be  that  our  free  enterprise  system,  the  sys- 
tem that  has  operated  in  this  country  from  its  beginning,  the  one  that 
has  enabled  it  to  become  the  marvel  and  the  wonder  of  the  modern 
world  for  the  variety  and  magnitude  of  its  ingenious  productive  ca- 
pacity, this  system  would  rather  quickly  be  destroyed,  so  history 
teaches.  Otherwise  the  monopoly  of  selfish  labor  leaders  must  be 
broken.  Freedom  and  personal  liberty — the  pride  and  boast  of  Ameri- 
ca, the  achievement  of  centuries  of  human  sacrifice  and  bloody  strug- 


36 

Friday.  Scptembei  >0 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Pitst  Dai/ 


gle  are  in  great  clanger  due  to  the  rise  of  this  destructive  movement, 
engineered  and  directed  by  smart  and  misguided  leaders  in  whose 
minds  and  hearts  right,  fairness,  and  justice  apparently  are  given  little 
or  no  consideration.  Their  followers  apparently  have  had  confidence 
in  their  leaders  and  have  accepted  as  true  the  false  and  misleading 
statements  and  claims  of  certain  men  relative  to  the  provisions  of  the 
Taft-Hartley  labor  law.  So  in  the  minds  of  many  workers  this  law 
is  oppressive,  unfair,  unjust,  and  robs  workers  of  their  rightful  gains, 
made  under  the  provisions  of  the  repealed  Wagner  labor  act. 

Provisions  of  Taft-Hartley  Law 

But  let  me  ask  how  many  of  these  workers  and  other  people  have 
ever  read  the  Taft-Hartley  law  and  fully  understand  what  its  pro- 
visions are?  My  understanding  is  that  this  law  was  designed  to  pro- 
tect the  rights  and  freedom  of  employees  and  employers  alike,  and 
make  unions  and  corporations  equally  responsible  before  the  law  for 
their  contracts,  obligations,  etc.  What  right-minded  citizen  would 
have  any  other  kind  of  law?  In  any  case,  two-thirds  of  the  members 
of  each  branch  of  the  United  States  Congress  believe  the  Taft-Hart- 
ley bill  would  be  at  least  a  fairly  good  law,  for  they  passed  it  over  the 
president's  veto.  Is  this  not  significant  in  the  light  of  the  fact  that 
many  members  of  his  party  voted  to  override  the  veto? 

But  the  question  of  whether  this  is  a  good  or  bad  law  has  been, 
and  is  being,  hotly  debated.  To  make  this  law  function  more  equitably 
it  needs  amendments,  it  is  said.  If  so,  let  these  be  made.  But  in  this 
situation  what  should  the  voters  of  the  country  do?  From  my  point 
of  view  the  right  to  vote  imposes  on  everyone  who  has  this  right  the 
obligation  to  make  a  full,  fair,  and  unprejudiced  study  of  the  issues 
involved  in  an  election,  and  then  support  candidates  who  stand  for 
the  principles  and  measures  that  the  voter  sincerely  and  honestly  be- 
lieves will  be  for  the  best  good  of  all  the  people  and  therefore  for  the 
best  interests  of  the  country  as  a  whole.  If  selfishness,  greed,  unright- 
eous motives,  and  ignoble  ambition  shall  dominate  in  our  elections,  the 
freedom  that  has  been  the  pride  and  glory  of  America  will  vanish — 
many  people  will  be  practically  enslaved,  as  is  the  case  in  Russia  to- 
day— so  historians  predict. 

Desire  to  Get  More 

But  the  outlook  is  none  too  encouraging,  for  unjustifiable  and 
insatiable  selfishness  has  already  made  deep  inroads  into  the  econo- 
my of  this  country  and  is  still  unsatisfied.  The  desire  to  get  more  and 
more  for  less  and  less,  spurred  on  by  some  politicians,  has  been  grow- 
ing stronger  and  stronger  among  different  groups  of  people,  especial- 
ly among  labor  unions. 

At  this  point  let  me  quote  from  an  article  in  the  March,  1949, 
number  of  the  Reader's  Digest  which  was  written  by  E.  T.  Leech, 
editor,  The  Pittsburg  Press,  as  follows: 


ELDER  JOSEPH  E.  MERRILL 


37 


This  country — indeed,  the  whole  world — is  being  swept  by  an 
epidemic  of  the  'gimmes.'  Nearly  everybody  wants  to  be  given  some- 
thing at  the  expense  of  somebody  else.  This  epidemic  grows  out  of  a 
belief  that  government  can  somehow  provide  aid  and  security  for  its 
people,  no  matter  what  the  cost  and  how  far  in  debt  it  already  is. 

The  more  government  provides,  the  more  is  expected  of  it.  One  of 
the  penalties  of  government  assistance  is  a  widespread  lowering  of  the 
sense  of  responsibility.  Individual  stamina  and  self-determination  go 
down  at  a  time  when  public  expenses  are  going  up.  This  parallel  develop- 
ment has  destroyed  other  nations.  It  enabled  a  few  thousand  barbarians 
to  overthrow  the  mighty  Roman  Empire.  The  Romans  came  to  depend 
on  the  state  for  food,  shelter  and  entertainment.  In  their  eagerness  for 
free  security  at  state  expense,  they  became  so  insecure  they  lost  every- 
thing. 

A  state  is  just  a  large  number  of  individuals.  In  the  end.  it  is 
subject  to  the  same  limitations  as  the  individual;  it  pays  the  same 
penalties  for  bad  management.  Take  debt,  for  example.  The  U.  S. 
Government  owes  over  250  billion  dollars — more  than  f>6000  for  every 
American  family.  Other  political  subdivisions — states,  cities,  counties, 
school  districts — owe  20  billions. 

All  of  them  are  under  terrific  pressure  to  provide  more  services  and 
greater  benefits.  All  arc  having  to  boost  taxes  and  borrow  money  to 
pour  out  to  a  never-satisfied  public. 

The  popular  idea  is  that  these  funds  can  be  obtained  from  the  rich 
and  the  big  corporations — so  that  the  majority  of  people  can  have  the 
benefits  without  paying  the  cost.  But  nobody  gets  anything  for  nothing. 
Everybody  shares  the  debt.    Everybody  pays  taxes — direct  or  indirect. 

There  aren't  enough  rich  people  to  enable  the  government  to  finance 
itself  at  their  expense.  If  government  took  all  the  wealth  of  corporations, 
it  wouldn't  put  the  country  on  a  sound  financial  keel.  But  it  would  put 
the  corporations  out  of  business  and  workers  out  of  jobs.  Meanwhile, 
all  that  the  big  companies  pay  to  government  becomes  a  part  of  the  cost 
of  the  goods  they  produce — an  important  factor  in  the  cost  of  living 
for  everybody. 

Only  wider  realization  of  these  basic  facts  can  stop  the  tragedy  that 
must  eventually  happen  if  the  'give-everything-to-everybody'  theory 
continues  unchecked. 

Pension  Plans 

As  an  example  of  this  "gimmes"  craze,  let  us  look  at  the  demands 
certain  officials  are  now  making  on  several  large  corporations.  They 
demand  something  new — insurance  policies  and  life  pensions,  rang- 
ing from  $100  to  $150  monthly,  both  to  be  paid  entirely  by  the  em- 
ployers— absolutely  something  for  nothing.  Who  would  provide  the 
money  for  these  benefits?  The  public,  of  course,  those  who  buy  the 
goods  and  services  the  companies  sell.  When  cost  of  production  goes 
up,  prices  rise.  The  experience  of  the  past  four  years  definitely  proves 
this.  But  many  of  these  company  employees  already  get  top  wages — 
wages  much  higher  than  are  generally  paid  employees  and  other  work- 
ers engaged  in  ordinary  commercial  and  other  enterprises.  Is  there 
anything  fair,  right,  or  just  in  asking  these  other  workers  to  provide 
free  benefits  for  more  highly  paid  company  employees? 

It  might  be  said,  however,  that  the  policy  of  providing  retirement 
benefits  on  a  fifty-fifty  plan  is  now  current  among  teachers,  federal 
civil  service  employees,  and  others — the  employer  and  employee  each 


38  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  jO  First  Day 

paying  half.  This  is  considered  a  reasonable  plan.  The  one  in  which 
the  employer  pays  all  is  wrong  in  principle,  bad  as  an  example,  in- 
jurious for  employee  and  employer  alike,  even  though  some  corpor- 
ations pension  their  officers  free  of  cost  to  the  latter — -an  unwise  and 
wrong  practice  that  should  be  abandoned. 

It  is  true,  of  course,  that  employees  of  corporations  are  generally 
organized  in  powerful  unions  to  which  truculent  politicians  bow  and 
scrape  and  give  support.  The  unions  back  up  their  demands  by  strikes 
and  picket  lines  through  which  it  is  so  dangerous  to  pass  that  other 
workers  do  not  venture.  Thus  production  stops,  and  the  innocent 
public  suffer.  Is  this  not  a  hold-up  game  exactly  in  principle  like  that 
played  by  the  bank  robber?  But  our  laws  make  the  latter  a  grave 
crime  while  the  former  is  befriended  by  truculent  officials  and  politi- 
cians who  have  an  eye  on  the  source  from  which  votes  come.  The 
situation  appears  to  be  getting  very  critical.  Some  group  leaders  ap- 
parently have  the  country  by  the  throat  and  still  are  demanding  the 
repeal  of  restrictions  that  limit  their  power.  Unless  this  power  is  still 
further  limited  this  country  will  be  absolutely  under  the  domination 
of  these  men. 

Campaign  of  Education 

What  can  be  done  in  the  matter?  Let  a  campaign  for  educating 
the  public  be  vigorously  carried  on  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  all 
voters  to  make  a  careful  study  of  all  pertinent  facts — not  fancies  and 
propaganda — relative  to  the  "gimmes"  craze.  There  are  scholarly, 
experienced  experts  who  talk  and  write  on  the  situation  for  the  worthy 
purpose  of  giving  the  truth  to  us.  In  our  study  let  us  go  to  the'm  and 
avoid  crackpots  and  propagandists,  even  truculent  officials.  I  will  trust 
an  informed  American  public.  I  am  sure  that  a  vast  number  of  mem- 
bers of  organized  groups  are  loyal  American  citizens  and  would  vote 
against  men  and  measures  that  by  word  and  act  would  tend  to  destroy 
America's  free  enterprise  system  and  that  would  imperil  the  right  of 
"life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness"  to  loyal  Americans. 

But  the  situation,  I  repeat,  is  threatening,  critical.  The  elections 
in  1950  and  1952  will  undoubtedly  decide  whether  we  shall  have  in 
America  freedom  or  a  monopoly  controlled  by  group  bosses — freedom 
under  fair,  right,  and  just  laws  impartially  administered,  or  slavery 
under  the  dictatorship  of  these  misguided  bosses.  By  all  means  let  this 
be  the  dominant  issue.  Other  issues,  though  highly  important,  can 
wait  on  the  determination  of  this  one.  Is  not  the  Republic  worth  sav- 
ing? Who  doubts  it? 

Support  of  Constitution 

Why  do  I  speak  of  these  things?  Because  our  religion,  as  I  un- 
derstand it,  requires  us  to  stand  for  the  divinely  inspired  Constitution 
of  the  United  States  and  to  refuse  support  of  all  candidates  and 
measures  that  would  bring  about  a  condition  foreign  to  the  spirit  of 


ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY 


39 


that  instrument  and  that  would  turn  our  government  and  country  over 
to  the  control  and  dictates  of  autocratic  bosses,  whoever  they  may  be. 

Our  religion  teaches  without  reservation  the  fatherhood  of  God 
and  the  universal  brotherhood  of  man,  and  that  we  should  love  our 
fellow  men  as  we  love  ourselves.  We  are  all  enjoined  to  do  this.  All 
my  life  I  have  been  in  full  sympathy  with  those  who  toil,  those  who 
earn  their  bread  by  the  sweat  of  their  brow.  For  more  than  seventy 
years  I  have  been  one  of  them.  I  love  the  honest  toiler.  I  ask  no 
more  of  him  than  I  ask  of  myself — which  is — try  sincerely  to  live 
the  Golden  Rule  in  all  our  relations  with  our  fellow  men.  What 
more  can  we  rightfully  ask  of  anyone? 

I  pray  that  the  Lord  will  give  us  all  a  desire,  and  the  wisdom 
and  the  courage  to  do  as  he  would  have  us  do  relative  to  these  and 
all  other  matters  that  concern  us  and  the  welfare  of  our  country,  and 
I  do  it  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior.  Amen. 

ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 

I  bring  you  greetings  from  my  beloved  colleague,  Elder  Thomas 
E.  McKay.  I  stood  at  his  bedside  early  this  morning  and  said, 
"Thomas,  it  is  time  to  get  up  and  go  to  conference."  There  is 
nothing  in  the  world  he  would  rather  have  done,  but  he  was  unable 
to  come.  He  asked  me  to  express  his  love  to  you  and  also  his 
appreciation  for  the  prayers  you  have  offered  in  his  behalf.  He 
feels  that  our  Heavenly  Father  has  heard  your  prayers. 

I  am  very  grateful  for  these  conferences.  They  revive  my 
soul.  Every  one  I  have  attended  for  years  has  lifted  me  up  and 
induced  me  to  renew  my  determination  to  devote  myself  more 
fully  to  works  of  righteousness.  During  them,  the  importance 
of  this  world's  interests  and  distractions  seems  to  diminish,  and 
life's  true  values,  as  set  forth  in  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  come 
into  plainer  view. 

Fruits  of  the  Gospel 

Does  each  of  you  find  it  so?  I  hope  you  do,  and  I  encourage 
you  to  take  every  available  opportunity  to  renew  within  yourself 
a  determination  to  obtain  the  full  fruits  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

When  earth  life  is  over  and  things  appear'  in  their  true  perspec- 
tive, we  shall  more  clearly  see  and  realize  what  the  Lord  and  his 
prophets  have  repeatedly  told  us,  that  the  fruits  of  the  gospel  are 
the  only  objectives  worthy  of  life's  full  efforts.  Their  possessor 
obtains  true  wealth — wealth  in  the  Lord's  view  of  values.  We 
need  constantly  to  deepen  our  understandings  and  sharpen  our 
realization  of  what  the  fruits  of  the  gospel  are. 


40  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

1'iiiUg.  September  W  F<«<  Uog 

The  Lord  has  defined  them  as 

.  .  .  peace  in  this  world,  and  eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come. 
(D.  SC.  59:23.) 

It  is  a  bit  difficult  to  define  the  "peace  in  this  world"  referred  to  in 
the  revelation.  But  we  may  be  assured  that  it  is  not  the  ease, 
luxury,  and  freedom  from  struggle  envisioned  by  the  world's  Utopian 
dreamers.  Jesus  told  his  apostles  that  it  would  be  found  by  them 
even  in  their  days  of  tribulation. 

Peace  I  leave  with  you, 

he  said, 

.  .  .  my  peace  I  give  unto  you. 

And  then,  by  way  of  caution,  it  seems  to  me,  he  added, 

.  .  .  not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you.    (John  14:27.) 

Peace  Amidst  Tribulation 

A  little  later  he  re-emphasized  this  statement  in  these  words: 

These  things  I  have  spoken  unto  you,  that  in  me  ye  might  have 
peace.    In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation.    (John  16:33.) 

Convincing  evidence  of  the  truth  of  this  saying  of  the  Master — 
that  people  suffering  tribulation  in  this  world  could  at  the  same  time 
find  peace  in  him — has  come  out  of  the  most  severe  experiences. 

I  suppose  that  the  last  few  days  of  the  Prophet's  life  were 
crowded  with  about  as  much  tribulation  as  any  human  being  could 
endure.  He  was  hounded  by  traitors,  impeached  by  misguided 
and  false-accusing  associates,  called  to  account,  promised  protection, 
and  then  abandoned  by  his  government.  That  all  the  while  he  knew 
he  was  approaching  martyrdom  is  clear  from  the  record.  On  the 
evening  of  Saturday,  June  22,  he  wrote  in  his  journal: 

I  told  Stephen  Markham   that  if  I  and  Hyrum  were  ever  taken 
again  we  should  be  massacred,  or  I  was  not  a  prophet  of  God. 

On  Sunday,  the  23rd,  he  said  to  his  brother  Hyrum, 

If  you  go  back,  1  will  go  with  you,  but  we  shall  be  butchered. 

Monday,  the  24th,  on  leaving  Nauvoo.  he  paused  when  they 
got  to  the  temple,  and  looked  with  admiration  first  on  that,  and 
then  on  the  city,  and  remarked, 

This  is  the  loveliest  place  and  the  best  people  under  the  heavens: 
little  do  they  know  the  trials  that  await  them. 


ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY  41 

In  this  setting,  knowing  that  his  own  life  would  be  taken  from 
him  by  force  and  violence  and  viewing  the  trials  and  suffering 
which  would  be  visited  upon  his  beloved  followers,  he  said  to  the 
company  who  were  with  him, 

I  am  going  like  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  but  I  am  calm  as  a  summer's 
morning. 

This  is  a  classic  example  of  a  person  having  at  the  same  tim« 
tribulation  in  this  world  and  peace  in  Christ.  Many  others,  both 
in  ancient  and  in  modern  times,  have  had  similar  experiences. 

Eternal  Life 

The  other  fruit  of  the  gospel  named  in  the  quotation — "eternal 
life  in  the  world  to  come" — must  be  a  glorious  thing,  for  the  Lord 
has  said  that  "he  that  hath  eternal  life  is  rich,"  (D.  &  C.  6:7)  and 
that  the  "gift  of  eternal  life  is  the  greatest  of  all  the  gifts  of  God." 
(D.  &  C.  14:7.)  He  who  obtains  it  will  obtain  an  exaltation  in 
the  celestial  kingdom  of  our  Father  in  heaven.  Speaking  of  such 
the  Lord  says,  among  other  things: 

They  are  they  who  are  the  church  of  the  Firstborn. 
.  .  .  into  whose  hands  the  Father  has  given  all  things — 
They  are  they  who  are  priests  and  kings,  who  have  received  of  his 
fulness,  and  of  his  glory; 

.  .  .  they  are  gods,  even  the  sons  of  God  .  .  . 

These  shall  dwell  in  the  presence  of  God  and  his  Christ  forever 
and  ever. 

These  are  they  whom  he  shall  bring  with  him,  when  he  shall  come 
in  the  clouds  of  heaven  to  reign  on  the  earth  over  his  people 

.  .  .  who  shall  have  part  in  the  first  resurrection. 

.  .  .  who  shall  come  forth  in  the  resurrection  of  the  just. 

These  are  they  whose  names  are  written  in  heaven  .  .  . 

.  .  .  whose  bodies  are  celestial,  whose  glory  is  that  of  the  sun,  even 
the  glory  of  God,  the  highest  of  all,  whose  glory  the  sun  of  the  firmament 
is  written  of  as  being  typical.    (D.  6  C.  76:54-56,  58,  62-65,  68,  70.) 

Assurance  of  Blessings 

This  gift  of  eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come  may  not,  of  course, 
be  fully  realized  during  earth  life.  An  assurance  that  it  will  be  ob- 
tained in  the  world  to  come  may,  however,  be  had  in  this  world. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  blessings  of  the  celestial  kingdom  are 
promised  only  to  those  who  have  such  an  assurance.  According 
to  the  vision,  a  successful  candidate  for  these  blessings  must  qualify 
on  three  counts:  First,  he  must  have  "...  received  the  testimony 
of  Jesus,  and  believed  on  his  name"  and  been  "...  baptized  after 
the  manner  of  his  burial";  second,  he  must  have  received  "the  Holy 
Spirit  by  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  him  who  is  ordained  and 
sealed  unto  this  power";  and  third,  he  must  be  "sealed  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  promise."  (D.  &  C.  76:51-53.) 


I 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 


The  Prophet  Joseph  taught  that  one  so  sealed  would  have 
within  himself  an  assurance  born  of  the  spirit,  that  he  would  obtain 
eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come.  He  urgently  and  repeatedly 
admonished  the  Saints  of  his  day  to  obtain  such  an  assurance  by 
making  their  calling  and  election  sure.  It  is  this  assurance  within 
a  person  which  brings  to  him  the  peace  in  this  world  which  will 
sustain  him  in  every  tribulation. 


So  taught  the  Prophet  in  explanation  of  the  words  of  Peter. 
Although  that  apostle  had  heard  the  voice  of  God  declare,  when 
he  was  with  the  Savior  on  the  holy  mount, 

This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased, 

he  nevertheless  wrote  to  the  Saints, 

We  have  also  a  more  sure  word  of  prophecy;  whereunto  ye  do  well 
that  ye  take  heed.    (2  Peter  1:19.) 

Explaining  this  statement  the  Prophet  said: 

Though  they  might  hear  the  voice  of  God  and  know  that  Jesus  was 
the  Son  of  God,  this  would  be  no  evidence  that  their  election  and  calling 
was  made  sure,  that  they  had  part  with  Christ,  and  were  joint  heirs  with 
him.  They  then  would  want  that  more  sure  word  of  prophecy,  that  they 
were  sealed  in  the  heavens,  and  had  the  promise  of  eternal  life  in  the 
kingdom  of  God.  Then,  having  this  promise  sealed  unto  them,  it  was  an 
anchor  to  the  soul,  sure  and  steadfast.  Though  the  thunders  might  roll 
and  lightnings  flash,  and  earthquakes  bellow,  and  war  gather  thick 
around,  yet  this  hope  and  knowledge  would  support  the  soul  in  every 
hour  of  trial,  trouble  and  tribulation.    (D.  H.  C.  5:387-390.) 

It  was  such  an  assurance  which  sustained  the  Prophet  himself 
as  he  went  to  martyrdom,  for  unto  him  the  Lord  had  said  in  a  direct 
revelation: 

...  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  and  will  be  with  thee  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world,  and  through  all  eternity:  for  verily  I  seal  upon  you 
your  exaltation,  and  prepare  a  throne  for  you  in  the  kingdom  of  my 
Father,  with  Abraham  your  father.    (D.  &  C.  132:49.) 


The  Apostle  Paul  was  likewise  sustained  by  such  an  assurance. 
From  the  hand  of  the  Lord  "he  had  a  promise  of  receiving  a  crown 
of  righteousness." 

...  I  am  now  ready  to  be  offered, 

he  wrote  to  Timothy  just  previous  to  his  death. 

I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have 
kept  the  faith: 

Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which 
the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day.   (2  Tim.  4:6-8.) 


t 


More  Sure  Word  of  Prophecy 


Sustained  by  Assurance 


ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY 


43 


I  think  Apostle  Alonzo  A.  Hinckley  had  an  assurance  that 
he  would  receive  the  gift  of  eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come  and 
that  he  was  sustained  by  that  assurance  as  he  endured  the  sufferings 
of  a  slow  death,  for  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote  to  the  First  Presi- 
dency after  he  had  been  told  by  his  physician  that  his  illness  would 
be  fatal,  he  said: 

I  assure  you  that  I  am  not  deeply  disturbed  over  the  final  results. 
I  am  reconciled,  and  I  reach  my  hands  to  take  what  My  Father  has  for 
me,  be  it  life  or  death.  With  a  spirit  of  thanksgiving,  and  I  trust  free  from 
vanity  or  boastfulness,  I  look  over  the  past  with  satisfaction.  I  would 
not  turn  the  leaf  down  on  any  chapter  of  my  life.  So  far  as  I  know, 
I  have  honored  my  Heavenly  Father  with  my  time,  my  humble  talents, 
and  all  the  means  that  he  has  blessed  me  with,  and  I  have  dealt  justly 
with  all  men. .  I  have  fought,  but  I  have  fought  fairly. 

As  to  the  future.  I  have  no  misgivings.  ft  is  inviting  and  glorious, 
and  I  sense  rather  clearly  what  it  means  to  be  saved  by  the  redeeming 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  and  to  be  exalted  by  his  power  and  be  with  him 
ever  more.  (Church  Section,  March  27,  1949.) 

Wholehearted  Devotion 

These  fruits  of  the  gospel — assurance  that  we  shall  obtain 
eternal  life,  peace  in  this  world  sustained  by  such  an  assurance, 
and  finally  eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come — are  within  the 
reach  of  us  all.  Sometimes,  however,  because  of  our  lack  of 
understanding  and  appreciation  of  them,  I  am  persuaded  that  we 
take  too  much  for  granted.  We  assume  that  because  we  are 
members  of  the  Church,  we  shall  receive  as  a  matter  of  course 
all  the  blessings  of  the  gospel.  I  have  heard  people  contend  that 
they  have  a  claim  upon  them  because  they  have  been  through  the 
temple,  even  though  they  are  not  careful  to  keep  the  covenants  they 
there  made.    I  do  not  think  this  will  be  the  case. 

We  might  take  a  lesson  from  an  account  given  by  the  Prophet 
of  a  vision  of  the  resurrection,  in  which  he  records  that  one  of  the 
saddest  things  he  had  ever  witnessed  was  the  sorrow  of  members 
of  the  Church  who  came  forth  to  a  resurrection  below  that  which 
they  had  taken  for  granted  they  would  receive. 

I  conceive  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  to  be  of  such  inestimable 
worth  that  the  price  for  them  must  be  very  exacting,  and  if  I  cor- 
rectly understand  what  the  Lord  has  said  on  the  subject,  it  is.  The 
price,  however,  is  within  the  reach  of  us  all,  because  it  is  not 
to  be  paid  in  money  nor  in  any  of  this  world's  goods  but  in  righteous 
living.  What  is  required  is  wholehearted  devotion  to  the  gospel 
and  unreserved  allegiance  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints.  Speaking  to  this  point,  the  Prophet  taught  "...  that 
those  who  keep  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  and  walk  in  his 
statutes  to  the  end,  are  the  only  individuals"  who  shall  receive 
the  blessings. 


44  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Day 


Referring  to  Paul's  devotion,  he  said: 

Follow  the  labors  of  this  apostle  from  the  time  of  his  conversion 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  and  you  will  have  a  fair  sample  of  industry 
and  patience  in  promulgating  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Derided,  whipped, 
and  stoned,  the  moment  he  escaped  the  hands  of  his  persecutors  he  as 
zealously  as  ever  proclaimed  the  doctrine  of  the  Savior.  .  .  .  None  will  say 
that  he  did  not  keep  the  faith,  that  he  did  not  fight  the  good  fight,  that 
he  did  not  preach  and  persuade  to  the  last.  And  what  was  he  to 
receive?  A  crown  of  righteousness,  and  what  shall  others  receive  who 
do  not  labor  faithfully,  and  continue  to  the  end?  We  leave  such  to  search 
out  their  own  blessings  if  any  they  have.   (D.  H.  C.  2:19-20.) 

Explaining  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  the  reason  why  his 
exaltation  was  sealed  upon  him,  the  Lord  said: 

Behold,  I  have  seen  your  sacrifices  and  will  forgive  all  your  sins: 
I  have  seen  your  sacrifices  in  obedience  to  that  which  I  have  told  you. 
(D.  6  C.  132:50.) 

Calling  and  Election  Made  Sure 

A  half-hearted  performance  is  not  enough.  We  cannot  ob- 
tain these  blessings  and  be  like  the  rich  young  man  who  protested 
that  he  had  kept  the  commandments  from  his  youth  up  but  who 
went  away  sorrowful  when,  in  answer  to  the  question,  "What  lack 
I  yet?"    Jesus  said  unto  him, 

If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go  and  sell  that  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the 
poor  .  .  .  and  come  and  follow  me.  (Matt.  19:21.) 

Evidently  he  could  live  everything  but  the  welfare  program. 

There  can  be  no  such  reservation.  We  must  be  willing  to 
sacrifice  everything.  Through  self-discipline  and  devotion  we 
must  demonstrate  to  the  Lord  that  we  are  willing  to  serve  him 
under  all  circumstances.  When  we  have  done  this,  we  shall  re- 
ceive an  assurance  that  we  shall  have  eternal  life  in  the  world  to 
come.    Then  we  shall  have  peace  in  this  world. 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  made  this  perfectly  clear..   He  said, 

After  a  person  has  faith  in  Christ,  repents  of  his  sins,  and  is  baptized 
for  the  remission  of  his  sins  and  receives  the  Holy  Ghost  (by  the  laying 
on  of  hands),  .  .  .  then  let  him  continue  to  humble  himself  before  God, 
hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness,  and  living  by  every  word  of 
God,  and  the  Lord  will  soon  say  unto  him,  Son,  thou  shall  be  exalted. 
When  the  Lord  has  thoroughly  proved  him,  and  finds  that  the  man  is 
determined  to  serve  him  at  all  hazards,  then  the  man  will  find  his  calling 
and  his  election  made  sure.  (D.  H.  C.  3:380.) 

Now  may  the  Lord  bless  us,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  with  an 
understanding  of  his  great  gospel.  And  may  we  press  forward 
with  diligence  and  energy  to  perfect  and  qualify  ourselves  to  re- 
ceive and  enjoy  the  full  fruits  thereof,  for  they  are  of  all  things 
the  most  joyous  to  the  soul.    Let  us  each  day  in  solemn  honesty 


ELDER  MATTHEW  COWLEY 


45 


confront  ourselves  with  the  rich  man's  question,  "What  lack  I 
yet?"  And  thus,  with  utter  frankness,  discovering  our  own  limita- 
tions, let  us  conquer  them  one  by  one  until  we  obtain  peace  in 
this  world  through  an  assurance  that  we  shall  have  eternal  life  in 
the  world  to  come.  For  these  blessings  I  pray  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

The  Singing  Mothers  and  the  congregation  joined  in  singing  the 
hymn,  "We  Thank  Thee,  O  God,  For  A  Prophet." 

ELDER  MATTHEW  COWLEY 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

I  am  indeed  grateful,  my  brethren  and  sisters  and  friends,  to  be 
back  again  in  a  general  conference  of  the  Church.  During  the  past 
eight  months  I  have  visited  the  Hawaiian  Mission,  the  Central  Pacific 
Mission,  the  Australian  Mission,  the  New  Zealand  Mission,  the  Ton- 
gan  Mission,  the  Samoan  Mission,  the  Japanese  Mission,  and  in  com- 
pany with  President  Robertson  and  President  Aki,  we  officially  opened 
a  mission  at  Hong  Kong,  China. 

Sincerity  of  Missionaries 

I  have  visited  with  every  missionary  in  the  respective  missions 
who  was  there  at  the  time  of  my  visit.  I  have  heard  the  testimonies  of 
these  young  men  and  women,  and  I  wish  I  could  relay  to  you  the  lan- 
guage of  sincerity  and  conviction  which  these  young  missionaries  are 
carrying  to  the  world.  If  there  was  ever  a  day  in  the  history  of  this 
sorry  old  world  when  we  needed  to  hear  the  voice  of  conviction  and 
the  language  of  sincerity,  this  is  the  time,  and  in  all  the  world's  con- 
fusion it  is  not  only  inspiring  but  refreshing  to  hear  hundreds  of  our 
men  and  our  women  speaking  a  language  of  sincerity  to  all  who  will 
listen.  I  have  heard  their  testimoies,  and  I  have  been  inspired. 

I  have  heard  the  testimonies  of  some  who  have  said  that  their 
own  parents  were  not  very  active  in  the  Church.  If  any  of  those  par- 
ents are  within  the  sound  of  my  voice,  I  trust  that  you  will  from  this 
very  moment  sustain  your  sons  and  daughters  by  your  own  activity, 
by  your  own  devotion  to  the  Church  while  they  are  out  in  the  world 
at  your  expense,  giving  their  all  in  testifying  that  the  gospel  has  been 
restored. 

Chinese  Mission 

In  China,  at  Hong  Kong,  on  the  fourteenth  of  July,  in  company 
with  President  Robertson  and  his  wife  and  daughter,  President  Aki 
and  his  wife,  and  my  wife,  we  went  upon  what  is  known  as  The  Peak, 
the  highest  eminence  overlooking  the  beautiful  city  of  Hong  Kong, 
and  on  to  the  mainland  of  China,  and  there  we  officially  opened  the 


46  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Day 


mission  by  a  brief  service,  each  of  us  praying  in  turn.  1  will  never  for- 
get the  prayer  of  Brother  Henry  Aki,  who.  as  he  stood  there,  facing 
his  homeland,  with  its'  four  hundred  and  sixty-five  million  inhabitants, 
poured  out  his  soul  to  God  that  he  might  be  the  means  of  bringing 
salvation  to  his  kindred  people.  What  great  odds,  brothers  and  sisters, 
one  man  holding  the  priesthood  of  God  among  four  hundred  and 
sixty-five  million  of  his  race!  I  was  never  so  impressed  with  the  pre- 
ciousness  of  the  priesthood  of  God  as  I  was  when  that  dear  Chinese 
brother,  who  felt  the  burden  that  was  upon  him,  implored  God  to 
bring  salvation  to  his  people. 

In  our  prayers  we  included  by  reference  the  dedicatory  prayer 
offered  by  President  McKay  in  1921,  I  think  it  was,  when  he  asked 
God  to  open  up  the  way  for  the  gospel  to  be  brought  to  that  great 
nation.  We  will  need  missionaries  for  China — those  who  are  willing 
to  serve  among  a  people  who  have  not  yet  received  the  light  and 
knowledge  of  the  gospel. 

Opportunities  in  Japan 

In  Japan  we  have  one  of  the  greatest  opportunities  for  missionary 
service  I  have  ever  heard  of  or  read  of  in  the  history  of  this  Church. 
While  I  was  there,  we  had  twenty-seven  missionaries  in  all  of  Japan 
among  eighty  million  people,  and  coming  to  the  services  held  by  those 
twenty-seven  missionaries  were  twenty-one  hundred  people,  and  they 
were  coming  to  the  missionaries;  the  missionaries  were  not  seeking 
them  out  as  we  .do  in  other  missions  of  the  Church.  We  would  have 
the  same  results  if  we  had  three  hundred  missionaries  among  those 
eighty  million  people. 

In  the  city  of  Tokyo  I  attended  a  conference  at  which  we  had 
five  hundred  in  attendance.  Possibly  only  fifty  at  that  conference  were 
members  of  the  Church.  We  had  a  choir  of  ninety  voices,  young  men 
and  women  who  came  about  a  hundred  miles  by  bus  to  sing  at  the 
conference.  They  sang  our  hymns  and  our  anthems,  and  not  one  of 
those  ninety  young  men  and  women  was  yet  a  member  of  the  Church. 
Some  have  joined  since. 

The  director  of  our  choir  in  Tokyo,  a  graduate  of  Cambridge 
University,  a  successful  business  man,  directed  the  choir,  made  up  of 
members  and  non-members,  and  it  was  just  as  good  as  many  of  the 
choirs  I  have  heard  here  at  home. 

City  of  Shibata 

President  Clissold  and  I  went  on  one  of  our  trips  to  the  city  of 
Shibata.  The  mayor  of  the  city  heard  that  we  were  coming,  and  after 
attending  to  some  business  with  a  gentleman  about  four  miles  from 
Shibata,  we  went  into  the  mayor's  office,  and  he  asked  us  to  come  with 
him.  We  followed  him  upstairs  over  a  bank  building  to  a  large  cham- 
ber, and  there  assembled  were  one  hundred  and  six  of  the  leading 
businessmen  and  civic  leaders  of  the  city.  He  had  phoned  them  and 


ELDER  MATTHEW  COWLEY 


47 


gone  out  to  see  them  to  bring  them  in  to  hear  the  ministers  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  After  he  introduced  us, 
he  asked  us  to  speak  to  those  people  as  we  saw  fit.  With  the  aid  of 
an  interpreter  I  bore  my  testimony.  President  Clissold  spoke  in  Japa- 
nese, and  at  the  conclusion  of  our  talks  the  mayor  said  to  the  people: 
"Ladies  and  gentlemen,  these  are  the  representatives  of  the  Church 
which  we  want  established  here  in  the  city  of  Shibata."  And  he  said 
to  us:  "Send  immediately,  missionaries,"  and  the  following  week  two 
missionaries  were  sent  there,  a  Hawaiian  sister  and  a  Nisei  Japanese 
sister  from  Hawaii  who  were  there  on  missions. 

The  mayor  of  the  city  has  turned  over  to  them  a  big  assembly 
room  in  another  bank  building,  and  he  said:  "They  can  use  that  until 
we  have  a  chapel  in  the  city  of  Shibata." 

One  of  the  wealthy  men  of  the  city  has  turned  his  home  over  to 
them  as  a  residence,  and  in  that  residence  they  are  holding  cottage 
meetings. 

Just  outside  the  city  of  Shibata  there  is  a  man  named  Mr.  Ichishi- 
ma,  who  was  the  second  largest  landowner  in  Japan  prior  to  the  war. 
When  we  visited  him,  he  had  with  him  his  banker,  his  lawyer,  and 
two  or  three  others,  and  after  they  had  held  a  meeting  together  for 
an  hour  or  so,  they  joined  President  Clissold  and  me,  and  Mr.  Ichi- 
shima  made  a  formal  offer  of  his  seventeen  hundred  acres,  which  sur- 
round his  home,  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
for  some  project,  school  or  otherwise.  We  told  him  we  could  not  ac- 
cept it  without  consulting  the  Authorities  of  the  Church,  and  then  he 
said:  "Well,  send  missionaries  immediately,  not  next  month,  not  next 
year,  but  immediately." 

And  so  the  following  week  two  missionaries  were  sent  to  Mr. 
Ichishima's  home,  and  he  turned  part  of  his  home  over  to  them  as  a 
residence. 

When  President  Mauss  arrived  in  Japan,  President  Clissold  took 
him  to  Tennen  Shinden  to  show  him  this  land,  this  estate.  Mr.  Ichi- 
shima  met  them  at  the  railway  station.  The  first  thing  he  said  to  Presi- 
dent Clissold  was:  "We  had  two  hundred  and  fourteen  out  to  church 
last  Sunday — two  hundred  and  fourteen!" 

On  his  land  is  a  private  chapel  which  belongs  to  the  estate,  a 
Buddhist  chapel,  and  they  have  boarded  off  the  figure  of  Buddha  and 
are  using  it  as  a  chapel  for  our  Church.  Mr.  Ichishima  is  the  organist 
for  the  services.  I  believe  it  will  not  be  long  before  he  joins  the  Church. 

Rehabilitation  of  People 

I  could  go  on,  brothers  and  sisters,  and  tell  you  about  the  way 
these  people  are  coming  to  our  missionaries  to  study  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ.  They  have  this  new  freedom  offered  by  the  occupation 
government,  and  they  are  trying  to  make  the  most  of  it. 

They  are  receiving  the  occupation  forces  of  the  United  States, 
not  as  conquerors,  but  as  deliverers,  and  it  is  magnificent  the  way 


48  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30  First  Day 

they  cooperate  with  General  MacArthur  and  his  forces  in  rehabili- 
tating their  country  which  was  practically  destroyed  by  our  bombs. 
I  never  once  felt  a  spirit  or  an  undercurrent  of  opposition  to  our  Am- 
erican forces,  and  I  never  heard  one  member  of  the  occupation  forces 
say  an  unkind  word  about  the  Japanese  people.  I  thank  God  for  Gen- 
eral MacArthur  who  tries  to  understand  the  people,  who  knows  as 
Lincoln  knew  that  the  best  way  to  defeat  our  enemies  is  to  make  friends 
of  them.  And  that  is  what  the  Americans  are  trying  to  do  in  Japan. 

We  have  a  marvelous  opportunity  there.  The  people  will  join 
the  Church  there  if  we  give  them  the  missionaries.  They  want  to  know 
the  gospel. 

Missionary  Activities 

They  have  a  ladies'  dressmaking  school  in  the  city  of  Tokyo. 
There  are  three  hundred  women  attending  this  school,  and  they  have 
invited  a  missionary  to  come  over  twice  a  week  and  teach  the  gospel 
to  the  school.  So  one  of  our  young  Nisei  brothers  goes  over  twice  a 
week  to  hold  an  assembly  of  the  three  hundred  women.  He  teaches 
the  gospel  to  them  in  a  meeting  which  lasts  an  hour  and  a  half  twice 
a  week, 

We  have  orphanages  there  where  we  are  teaching  Sunday 
Schools  every  Sunday  morning.  We  have  a  school  there  at  which 
one  of  the  elders  teaches  English,  and  the  head  of  the  school  said: 
"You  may  teach  your  gospel  along  with  your  English." 

It  is  almost  unbelievable,  the  work  our  missionaries  are  doing 
among  the  Japanese.  They  have  been  released  from  their  allegiance 
to  the  emperor  as  a  divine  personage,  and  the  people  want  to  make 
the  best  of  the  opportunities  which  Christianity  affords  and  which  the 
freedom  we  have  to  give  them  affords. 

Pioneer  Spirit 

I  hope  that  we  will  do  what  Brother  Merrill  suggests,  that  we 
will  preserve  the  heritage  which  we  have.  Confusion  reigns  all  over 
this  world.  I  wonder  today  what  kind  of  valley  we  would  have  here 
now  had  there  existed  in  the  days  of  our  pioneers  the  spirit  which 
exists  among  men  and  women  today,  this  spirit  of  wanting  more  and 
more  for  doing  less  and  less. 

I  thought  of  the  pioneers  when  I  was  in  Japan.  When  I  would 
arise  in  the  morning,  I  would  see  those  people  out  in  their  rice  paddies 
and  their  little  wheat  fields,  working  from  before  daylight  until  after 
dark  at  night;  it  was  a  hive  of  industry;  there  was  no  idleness,  no 
one  looking  to  anyone  else  for  support  or  for  a  livelihood,  but  all  look- 
ing to  the  work  of  their  own  hands.  And  I  prayed  that  the  way  would 
be  opened  for  them  to  receive  the  means  and  the  ways  for  bringing 
temporal  salvation  to  them,  eighty  million  people  in  an  area  the  size 
of  the  state  of  California. 


BISHOP  LEGRAND  RICHARDS 


49 


Sustaining  of  Missionaries 

I  testify  to  you,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  is 
with  your  missionaries.  They  are  teaching  truth,  and  they  know  it. 
They  are  paying  their  own  expenses  or  their  people  are  paying  their 
expenses.    You  cannot  question  that  kind  of  sincerity. 

It  is  a  sad  thing,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  to  hear  people  say  in 
their  testimonies,  while  they  are  giving  their  all  for  the  Church,  that 
in  their  own  homes  there  are  some  who  are  not  living  the  gospel  and 
are  not  sustaining  them  in  the  positions  which  they  hold.  Let  us  be- 
gin this  business  of  sustaining  one  another  in  our  own  homes.  There 
is  a  power  of  regeneration  in  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  lifts  us  up 
if  we  will  obey  it. 

I  saw  Japanese  creating  pearls  at  the  Mikamoto  Pearl  Farm  in 
Japan.  I  saw  them  injuring  an  oyster  and  from  that  injury  creating 
a  beautiful  pearl.  That  can  be  done  with  human  souls.  Some  of  us  may 
be  damaged;  some  of  us  may  have  within  ourselves  foreign  matter, 
foreign  influences,  but  if  we  take  within  ourselves  some  of  that  live 
tissue  of  Christ — as  they  take  from  a  live  oyster  and  place  in  another 
one,  killing  the  one  to  produce  pearls  in  the  other — if  we  do  that, 
brothers  and  sisters,  we  can  make  ourselves  and  those  who  are  not 
working  in  the  Church,  those  who  are  not  active  in  our  own  homes, 
pearls  of  great  price.  That  is  the  gospel  plan. 

God  grant  that  we  may  respond  to  it,  I  pray,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

BISHOP  LEGRAND  RICHARDS 

Presiding  Bishop 

I  would  have  been  very  happy  to  give  my  time  to  Elder  Cowley. 
I  am  sure  we  could  all  have  listened  another  hour  to  his  wonderful 
experiences  while  away  and  enjoyed  the  spirit  he  brings  home  to  us. 
I  love  the  spirit  of  this  work.  I  have  loved  it  all  my  life.  I  think  it  is 
the  most  wonderful  thing  in  all  the  world. 

Gathering  of  Israel 

To  me,  one  of  the  greatest  miracles  the  world  has  ever  produced 
has  been  the  fulfilment  of  the  words  of  the  prophets  in  the  gathering 
of  latter-day  Israel  and  our  establishment  here  in  the  tops  of  these 
mountains;  this  beautiful  temple  that  stands  on  this  block,  our  fertile 
valleys,  and  our  very  presence,  for  the  Lord  said  he  was  married  unto 
Israel,  speaking  of  latter-day  Israel, 

.  .  .  and  I  will  take  you  one  of  a  city,  and  two  of  a  family,  and 
I  will  bring  you  to  Zion: 

And  I  will  give  you  pastors  according  to  mine  heart,  which  shall 
feed  you  with  knowledge  and  understanding.  (Jeremiah  3:14-15.) 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE" 


First  Day 


And  that  is  the  reason  for  which  we  are  gathered  in  this  great 
conference  here  today,  that  we  might  be  so  fed. 

We  had  the  privilege  of  attending  a  meeting  in  the  temple  a 
week  ago  yesterday — all  the  General  Authorities — preparatory  to 
this  conference,  and  one  of  the  brethren,  in  bearing  his  testimony,  in- 
dicated that  as  a  boy  he  and  his  brother  talked  about  the  prophecies, 
and  he  said  in  substance,  "If  I  ever  live  to  see  the  Jews  gathered  back 
to  Jerusalem,  then  I  will  know  that  the  prophets  knew  what  they  were 
talking  about." 

Well,  today,  that  is  an  obvious  commonplace.  We  know,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  Jesus  said  that  not  one  stone  should  be  left 
upon  another  of  their  great  temple,  that  that  land  should  be  plowed 
as  an  acre,  and  that  they  should  be  scattered,  as  the  prophets  indi- 
cated, among  all  nations  and  become  a  hiss  and  a  byword,  neverthe- 
less the  promise  of  the  Lord  was  upon  that  land  that  it  should  be  re- 
built, and  that  they  should  be  gathered  again  and  that  it  should  be- 
come a  great  city.  Compare  that  for  a  moment  with  the  prophecy  of 
Isaiah  with  respect  to  the  great  city  of  Babylon. 


Isaiah  had  declared  that  Babylon  should  be  destroyed  and  that 
it  should  never  be  rebuilt,  that  it  should  become  the  home  of  reptiles 
and  wild  animals,  and  that  the  Arab  should  no  more  pitch  his  tent 
there.  Today  no  one  would  dare  declare  that  the  greatest  city  in  the 
world,  if  destroyed,  should  never  be  rebuilt;  but  Babylon,  the  greatest 
city  of  its  time,  never  has  been  rebuilt;  the  Arabs  have  not  pitched 
their  tents  there  because  its  ruins  are  full  of  reptiles  and  wild  animals; 
but  Jerusalem,  the  Lord  had  decreed,  would  be  rebuilt,  and  it  is  now 
being  built. 

Brother  Kimball,  whose  assignment  is  with  the  Indians,  said  that 
President  Woodruff  indicated  that  of  all  the  prophecies  that  were 
the  most  difficult  for  him  to  believe  and  understand  was  the  prophecy 
concerning  how  the  Lord  would  fulfil  all  of  his  promises  with  respect 
to  the  Indians,  and  yet  when  we  see  the  work  the  Church  is  under- 
taking today,  and  the  response,  similar  in  a  way  to  what  Brother 
Cowley  has  just  reported  from  the  islands,  we  can  easily  understand 
how  the  Lord  will  fulfil  in  every  sense  of  the  word  the  promises  made 
to  this  great  branch  of  the  house  of  Israel. 


Some  of  us  recall  how  President  Grant,  standing  here  in  this 
pulpit,  used  to  tell  of  his  friend  who  graduated  from  college  as  a  doc- 
tor, and  he  said  to  President  Grant  in  substance:  "I  cannot  accept 
your  Book  of  Mormon  because  it  is  full  of  lies,"  and  then  he  went  on 
to  talk  about  the  fact  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  said  that  the  former 
inhabitants  of  this  land  were  experienced  and  trained  in  the  use  of 
cement.  He  said,  "Everybody  knows  that  is  a  lie.  Cement  is  a  modern 
product." 


Prophecies  Fulfilled 


Book  of  Mormon  Vindicated 


BISHOP  LEG  RAND  RICHARDS 


51 


President  Grant,  having  a  testimony  that  the  Book  of  Mormon 
was  true,  said:  '  If  my  children  do  not.  live  to  see  vindicated  the  fact 
that  they  did  build  with  cement  and  were  proficient  in  its  use,  my 
grandchildren  will  live  to  see  it."  And  he  lived  himself  to  see  un- 
covered those  great  cement  highways  and  cement  buildings  down  in 
Central  and  South  America,  vindicating  the  truth  of  the  words  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  How  would  Joseph  Smith  have  dared  to  write  such 
things  when  the  book  was  published  in  1 830  if  he  had  been  the  author 
of  it? 

And  another  of  the  statements  contained  in  the  Book  of  Mormon 
which  President  Grant's  doctor  friend  did  not  believe  was  where  the 
Savior  appeared  here  in  the  land  of  America  following  his  resurrec- 
tion, and  the  account  says  that  his  voice  was  heard  all  over  the  land, 
and  this  doctor  said:  "You  know  that  is  not  true,  for  no  man's  voice 
can  carry  more  than  a  few  hundred  feet,''  and  yet  today,  as  we  speak 
from  this  Tabernacle,  the  voice  is  going  out  for  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  miles,  so  today  we  have  lived  to  see  the  truth  of  that  state- 
ment substantiated. 

Conditions  Foretold 

There  is  another  statement  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  that,  in  my 
judgment,  no  man  could  have  made  at  the  time  the  Book  of  Mormon 
was  published,  with  any  degree  of  assurance  that  he  was  telling  the 
truth,  and  that  is  the  statement  in  Second  Nephi  with  respect  to  the 
work  of  the  devil.  I  want  to  read  a  few  words  from  the  28th  Chapter 
of  Second  Nephi: 

For  the  kingdom  of  the  devil  must  shake,  and  they  which  belong 
to  it  must  needs  be  stirred  up  unto  repentance,  or  the  devil  will  grasp 
them  with  his  everlasting  chains,  and  they  be  stirred  up  to  anger, 
and  perish; 

For  behold,  at  that  day  shall  he  rage  in  the  hearts  of  the  children 
of  men,  and  stir  them  up  to  anger,  against  that  which  is  good. 

And  others  he  will  pacify,  and  lull  them  away  into  carnal  security, 
that  they  will  say:  All  is  well  in  Zion;  yea,  Zion  prospereth,  all  is 
well — and  thus  the  devil  cheateth  their  souls  and  leadeth  them  away 
carefully  down  to  hell. 

And  behold,  others  he  flattereth  away,  and  telleth  them  there  is  no 
hell;  and  he  saith  unto  them:  I  am  no  devil,  for  there  is  none — and  thus 
he  whispereth  in  their  ears,  until  he  grasps  them  with  his  awful  chains, 
from  whence  there  is  no  deliverance.  (II  Nephi  28:19-22.) 

I  doubt  if  there  was  a  Christian  minister  in  all  the  world  who 
would  have  said  there  was  no  devil  at  the  time  the  Book  of  Mormon 
was  published  in  1830,  and  yet  when  a  questionnaire  was  sent  out 
by  the  Northwestern  University  School  of  Religion  in  1934  to  five 
hundred  Christian  ministers,  of  the  five  hundred,  fifty-four  percent, 
or  two  hundred  and  seventy  of  them,  said:  "There  is  no  devil."  Thirty- 
nine  percent,  or  one  hundred  and  ninety-five,  said  there  would  be  no 
judgment  day;  and  eighty  percent  were  opposed  to  teaching  that  hell 
was  a  place  of  burning. 


52  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Dull 


Satan  Deceives  World 

If  the  world  could  just  get  rid  of  the  devil,  probably  it  would  be 
a  different  world.  They  little  realize  how  much  his  influence  and 
power  is  being  felt,  for,  in  the  words  of  Isaiah:  He  decreed  that  he 
would  exalt  his  throne  above  the  stars  of  God,  that  he  would  become 
like  unto  the  Most  High.  John,  the  Revelator,  saw  the  history  of  this 
world  from  its  beginning,  when  there  was  war  in  heaven,  and  he  saw 
Satan  with  a  third  of  the  hosts  of  heaven  cast  down  upon  this  earth, 
and  he  saw  that  he  should  deceive  the  whole  world. 

This  does  not  leave  very  many  out,  and  after  listening  to  the 
brethren  today  we  realize  that  we  must  be  very  careful  if  we  are  not 
going  to  be  deceived,  and  in  the  words  of  the  Book  of  Mormon: 

...  he  whispereth  in  their  ears,  until  he  grasps  them  with  his  awful 
chains,  from  whence  there  is  no  deliverance.  (Idem.) 

You  remember  the  experience  the  Savior  had  when  he  went  out 
in  the  wilderness  and  found  a  man  possessed  of  the  devil.  No  one 
needed  to  introduce  the  Savior  because  they  had  known  each  other 
in  the  spirit  world;  since  Satan  brought  with  him  the  knowledge  he 
had  there,  he  said  in  substance:  "Why  hast  thou  come  to  persecute 
us  before  our  time,  O  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  the  Most  High?"  ( See  Mark, 
5:7-13.) 

And  then  you  remember  the  conversation  that  ensued  and  how 
the  Savior  cast  him  out,  and  he  asked  his  name,  and  he  said:  "Legion," 
because  many  spirits  had  entered  into  the  body  of  this  man,  and  at 
their  request,  Jesus  permitted  them  to  enter  the  bodies  of  the  swine, 
and  the  swine  ran  off  into  the  river  and  were  drowned. 

Experiences  in  Holland 

I  would  like  to  relate  an  experience  I  had  with  two  of  my  mis- 
sionary companions  in  Amsterdam,  Holland.  We  went  into  a  home 
for  dinner.  The  mother  was  not  a  member  of  the  Church;  her  son  and 
daughter  were.  As  we  finished  our  meal,  I  asked  her  how  it  was  she 
had  never  joined  the  Church.  "Well,"  she  said,  "President  Richards" 
(I  was  then  president  of  the  mission),  "I  find  it  too  hard  to  live.  I  just 
could  not  keep  the  Word  of  Wisdom." 

I  began  to  explain  to  her  that  the  Lord  did  not  give  us  the  Word 
of  Wisdom  to  deprive  us  of  anything  that  we  ought  to  have  or  that 
was  good  for  us  but  to  protect  us  against  the  destructive  elements  that 
would  destroy  the  vitality  of  our  bodies,  and  with  that  a  spirit  took 
possession  of  her,  and  instead  of  the  sweet,  lovely  soul  that  she  was, 
she  began  to  roll  her  eyes  and  looked  up  at  me  and  in  the  most  sneer- 
ing voice  I  have  ever  been  addressed  in  in  my  life,  said:  "Who  are 
you?" 

I  replied:  "I  am  a  servant  of  the  Lord." 

Then  she  turned  to  her  daughter  and  said:  "And  who  are  you?" 
She  answered:  "I  am  the  daughter  of  the  house." 


BISHOP  LEGRAND  RICHARDS 


53 


Then  she  turned  to  me  again  and  asked  the  same  question,  and 
when  I  replied  that  I  was  a  servant  of  the  Lord,  she  said:  "So,  if  you 
are  a  servant  of  the  Lord  then  I  have  nothing  to  do  here." 

With  that  I  called  my  companions.  We  laid  our  hands  upon  her 
head.  We  rebuked  the  evil  spirits.  We  commanded  them  to  depart 
from  her  and  that  house,  and  she  fell  limp  on  the  floor.  We  carried 
her  in  on  the  bed,  and  after  giving  her  a  drink,  in  a  short  time  she  was 
her  natural  self  again.  The  daughter  told  us  that  her  mother  and  father 
had  come  to  America  some  years  previous,  and  they  had  something 
to  do  with  spiritualism  here,  and  she  said:  "Now  the  spirits  come  and 
annoy  her  in  the  night,  knocking  on  the  wall  until  she  cannot  sleep." 

We  had  another  friend  in  The  Hague  in  Holland  tell  us  that  be- 
cause he  had  interested  himself  in  spiritualism,  if  he  went  to  bed  at 
night  without  praying,  the  spirits  would  literally  lift  him  out  of  his 
bed  and  make  him  kneel  down  and  pray. 

There  is  not  time  to  discuss  this  matter  further,  but  I  want  to  tell 
you  that  there  is  a  spirit  of  the  evil  one  in  this  world  and  he  is  trying 
to  destroy  the  souls  of  men  and  gather  them  into  his  net,  and  he  is 
trying  to  do  it  with  our  young  people. 

I  would  like  to  read  a  few  words  from  an  article  that  appeared 
in  one  of  our  recent  magazines  to  show  how  the  devil,  whispering  in 
their  ears,  tries  to  lead  men  and  women  away  and  ensnare  them  in 
his  net,  as  Nephi  says. 

Chastity 

I  will  read  the  first  paragraph  of  the  article  entitled  "Is  Chastity 
Outmoded?" 

Today  we  talk  about  sex  with  an  unembarrassed  frankness  that 
would  have  filled  our  grandparents  with  amazement  and  horror.  This 
new  liberty  in  speech  has  its  counterpart  in  behavior.  In  many  circles 
the  traditional  restraints  in  sex  conduct  are  considered  stuffy  and  out 
of  fashion.  Chasity,  say  many  modern  people,  is  outmoded.  (Woman's 
Home  Companion,  Sept.  1949.) 

What  in  the  world  could  the  devil,  the  enemy  of  all  righteousness, 
desire  more  than  to  make  our  young  people  think  that  chastity  is  out- 
moded? To  accomplish  this,  he  must  make  them  believe  there  is  no 
devil,  and  that  there  is  no  hell  or  judgment  day.  Thus  "he  whispereth 
in  their  ears,  until  he  grasps  them  with  his  awful  chains,  from  whence 
there  is  no  deliverance." 

Now  I  want  to  quote  from  another  recent  magazine  article  en- 
titled "The  Mistake."  This  article  tells  of  a  boy  and  girl  who  made  a 
mistake  the  night  of  their  graduation  from  high  school,  which  mistake 
was  followed  by  the  birth  of  a  baby.  I  want  to  read  the  last  paragraph 
of  that  article  which  shows  how  Satan  whispered  in  their  ears  that 
everything  could  be  covered  up,  but  how  they  found  through  their 
own  experience  that  this  was  not  true,  because  he  is  the  father  of  all 
lies. 


54  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Day 


"I'm  sorry,  darling,  for  everything." 

"Don't  be,"  he  said,  "we're  in  it  together,  and  we'll  get  out  of  it 
together." 

But  later  upstairs,  long  after  he  was  asleep,  long  after  the  house  and 
street  outside  were  quiet,  Janet  turned  her  head  and  buried  her  face 
in  the  pillow  to  stifle  the  sound  the  sobs  made.  Because  it  wastn's  true, 
as  people  had  said,  that  you  could  make  a  mistake  and  pay  for  it. 
You  made  a  mistake  and  then  you  settled  down,  as  she  and  Ken  were 
doing,  to  live  with  it  for  all  the  rest  of  your  life. 

I  read  an  article  in  the  newspaper  at  the  close  of  the  war,  indi- 
cating that  in  Germany  there  were  thirteen  thousand  illegitimate 
babies  whose  fathers  were  American  boys! 

Do  you  believe  that  in  the  eternal  worlds  those  boys  will  ever 
be  able  to  forgive  themselves  for  having  brought  sons  and  daughters 
into  this  world  —  their  own  flesh  and  blood  —  for  whom  they  have 
never  claimed  fatherhood  and  for  whom  they  have  never  discharged 
their  duty  as  fathers?  We  should  remember  the  words  of  the  Prophet 
Alma  to  his  son  Corianton,  and  teach  them  to  our  children: 

Know  ye  not,  my  son,  that  these  things  are  an  abomination  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord;  yea,  most  abominable  above  all  sins  save  it  be 
the  shedding  of  innocent  blood  or  denying  the  Holy  Ghost?  (Alma  39:5.) 

Now,  brothers  and  sisters,  Satan  is  working  every  way  he  can 
to  get  us  to  disobey  the  commandments  of  God,  and  I  tell  you  he 
would  have  every  man  and  every  woman  profaning;  he  would  have 
them  all  living  immoral  lives;  he  would  have  them  disregard  every 
commandment  of  the  Lord  if  he  could,  in  order  that  he  might  do  what 
he  had  decreed  to  do,  exalt  his  throne  above  the  stars  of  God,  and 
become  like  unto  the  Most  High. 

May  God  help  us  to  recognize  the  power  of  evil  in  the  world 
and  to  shun  it  and  to  serve  the  living  God,  I  pray,  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

I  have  rejoiced  with  you  this  afternoon  at  the  excellence  of 
the  addresses  which  have  been  delivered,  and  I  pray  that  for  these 
few  moments  I  may  be  strengthened  by  your  faith  and  prayers. 

In  President  George  Albert  Smith's  opening  remarks  this  morn- 
ing he  made  reference  to  the  two  great  forces  contending  in  the  world 
today  with  the  human  soul  as  the  prize,  and  he  admonished  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  to  stay  "on  the  Lord's  side." 

Power  of  Evil 

I  was  reminded  of  that  as  the  brethren  have  spoken,  particularly 
Bishop  Richards,  of  the  power  of  evil  extant  in  the  world  today,  and 
some  evidences  of  that  power.  As  I  thought  of  that,  I  have  remem- 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 


55 


bered  that  in  the  life  of  the  boy-prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  before  he  was 
given  the  outbursting  of  two  of  the  greatest  revelations  that  have  ever 
been  given  to  man,  both  of  those  revelations  were  preceded  by  a  dem- 
onstration of  the  power  of  evil, — in  the  Sacred  Grove,  and  on  the  Hill 
Cumorah.  It  seemed  to  have  been  necessary  that  the  Prophet  was  to 
understand  the  nature  and  power  of  that  force  in  order  that  he  could 
be  prepared  to  contend  successfully  against  it. 

The  Master,  just  before  his  crucifixion,  in  fact,  it  was  immedi- 
ately after  the  Last  Supper,  after  Satan  had  entered  into  Judas  Iscariot, 
as  the  scriptures  record,  as  he  received  the  sop  from  the  Savior  and 
departed  to  the  place  of  the  betrayal,  the  Master  then  proceeded  to 
converse  with  the  other  eleven.  Whether  this  took  place  as  he  stood 
at  the  table  or  on  their  way  to  the  place  of  the  betrayal  or  in  the 
temple,  we  have  no  definite  way  of  knowing,  but  in  that  conversation 
the  Master  gave  expression  to  this  significant  statement: 

Hereafter  I  will  not  talk  much  with  you:  for  the  prince  of  this 
world  cometh,  and  hath  nothing  in  me.  (John  14:30.) 

That  statement,  which  is  the  quotation  from  the  King  James  Ver- 
sion, is  given  more  significance  by  the  Prophet  Joseph  in  the  Inspired 
Version  when  he  quoted  it  thus: 

...  the  prince  of  darkness,  who  is  of  this  world,  cometh,  but  hath 
no  power  over  me,  but  he  hath  power  over  you. 

Satan's  Dominion 

In  a  revelation  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  his  preface  to  his 
commandments  in  this  dispensation,  the  Lord  said  this,  making  it  still 
clearer  as  to  the  nature  of  this  force  of  evil: 

For  I  am  no  respecter  of  persons,  and  will  that  all  men  shall  know 
that  the  time  speedily  cometh;  the  hour  is  not  yet,  but  is  nigh  at  hand, 
when  peace  shall  be  taken  from  the  earth,  and  the  devil  shall  have 
power  over  his  own  dominion.  (D.  &  C.  1:35.) 

Satan's  dominion,  as  the  Lord  has  further  explained,  was  the  do- 
minion of  those  who  do  wickedly  in  and  throughout  the  world. 
Bishop  Richards  has  called  attention  to  the  fact  of  the  disbelief  among 
many  in  such  a  being  as  Satan,  and  he  has  shown  us  that  such  dis- 
believers, without  their  knowing  it,  are  but  giving  fulfilment  to  a 
prophecy  uttered  twenty-five  hundred  years  ago  to  the  effect  that 
such  disbelief  and  denial  of  the  existence  of  hell  and  Satan  would  be 
one  of  the  things  which  would  come  in  this  latter  day. 

Satan,  or  the  devil,  is  known  by  various  terms.  He  is  called  the  . 
dragon;  he  is  called  the  serpent;  he  is  called  perdition;  he  is  called 
Lucifer;  and  he  is  called  the  adversary  or  the  prince  of  darkness. 
After  an  encounter  with  Moses  with  this  master  of  darkness,  the  Lord 
appeared  and  told  Moses  who  Satan  was,  that  he  was  one  of  the  sons 
of  God  who  came  to  Elohim  with  a  proposition  before  this  world  was 


56  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  V) 


First  Day 


that  would  have  destroyed  the  agency  of  man.  Satan  was  cast  out 
with  all  those  who  followed  after  him,  and  they  became  those  striving 
in  this  earth  in  a  further  effort  to  destroy  the  agency  of  man. 

Powers  of  Darkness 

In  a  revelation  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  the  Lord  said  that 
Satan  drew  after  him  a  third  part  of  the  spirits  whom  God  created, 
and  that  they  with  Satan  became  the  force  in  the  world  to  try  to  de- 
stroy the  work  of  righteousness.  That  power  was  spoken  of  by  Isaiah 
in  a  vision  which  he  received  which  he  called  a  grievous  vision,  in 
which  it  was  said:  "Set  a  watchman  on  the  tower  to  tell  what  he  seeth 
and  report  the  coming  of  horsemen  and  chariots,"  but  a  voice  spoke 
out  of  Mount  Seir  saying,  "Watchman,  what  of  the  night."  (See 
Isaiah  21:6-11.)  "Watchman,  what  of  the  night,"  suggesting  that, 
more  to  be  feared  than  the  enemies  that  could  be  perceived  with  the 
physical  senses  or  could  be  seen  by  physical  eyes  were  the  powers  of 
darkness  that  came  unseen  by  physical  eyes. 

That  same  thought  was  in  the  mind  of  the  Master,  no  doubt, 
when  he  said: 

And  fear  not  them  which  kill  the  body,  but  are  not  able  to  kill  the 
soul;  but  rather  fear  him  which  is  able  to  destroy  both  soul  and  body 
in  hell.     (Matthew  10:28.) 

The  Apostle  Paul  seemed  to  understand  very  clearly  this  same 
power  when  he  declared: 

For  we  wrestle  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  principalities, 
against  powers,  against  the  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  against 
spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places.  (Eph.  6:12.) 

Importance  of  Defenses 

Using  words  that  are  common  to  modern  warfare,  we  might  say 
that  there  are  in  the  world  today  fifth  columnists  who  are  seeking  to 
infiltrate  the  defenses  of  every  one  of  us,  and  when  we  lower  those 
defenses,  we  open  avenues  to  an  invasion  of  our  souls.  There  are 
carefully  charted  on  the  maps  of  the  opposition  the  weak  spots  in 
every  one  of  us.  They  are  known  to  the  forces  of  evil,  and  just  the 
moment  we  lower  the  defense  of  any  one  of  those  ports,  that  be- 
comes the  D  Day  of  our  invasion,  and  our  souls  are  in  danger. 

The  experiences  and  the  examples  of  many  cases  recited  in  testi- 
monies in  this  and  other  dispensations  of  the  gospel  seem  clearly  to 
indicate  that  whenever  we  allow  ourselves  to  become  doubtful,  bitter 
in  our  souls,  melancholy,  and  otherwise  downcast,  or  despondent,  we 
open  avenues  to  the  forces  which  are  ready  to  take  us  in  a  snare  just 
the  moment  these  weaknesses  are  discovered  in  us. 

Power  of  God  in  Weakness 

With  these  things  clearly  understood  and  taught  by  the  scrip- 
tures, it  seems  that  we  should  do  well  today  to  look  to  ourselves  as  . 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 


57 


leaders  and  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  Lord  has 
told  us  in  the  scriptures  that  Satan  is  an  enemy  of  all  righteousness; 
because  of  that  fact,  those  who  are  standing  in  high  places  in  our 
Father's  kingdom  will  become  the  objects  of  his  attacks.  You  may 
well  expect,  as  the  Apostle  Paul  understood,  that  you  who  preside  in 
the  various  places  in  our  Father's  kingdom  will  be  subject  to  the  devil's 
onslaughts.  The  Apostle  Paul  said  this: 

And  lest  I  should  be  exalted  above  measure  through  the  abundance 
of  the  revelations,  there  was  given  to  me  a  thorn  in  the  flesh,  the 
messenger  of  Satan  of  buffet  me,  lest  I  should  be  exalted  above  measure. 

For  this  thing  I  besought  the  Lord  thrice,  that  it  might  depart  from 

me. 

And  he  said  unto  me,  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee:  for  my 
strength  is  made  perfect  in  weakness.  Most  gladly  therefore  will  I  rather 
glory  in  my  infirmities  that  the  power  of  Christ  may  rest  upon  me.  (II  Cor. 
12:7-9.) 

So  it  is  with  you  who  in  Zion  preside  in  the  various  places.  Some- 
times there  is  given  infirmity,  difficulty,  hardship  upon  you  to  try  your 
souls;  and  the  powers  of  Satan  seem  to  be  enrolled  against  you,  watch- 
ing and  trying  to  break  down  your  powers  of  resistance;  but  your 
weakness,  through  those  infirmities,  will  give  you  the  power  of  God 
that  shall  rest  upon  you  even  as  the  Apostle  Paul  was  reconciled  and 
comforted  by  the  thought  that  through  his  trials  the  power  of  God 
might  rest  upon  him. 

Satan's  Ability  to  Deceive 

Satan  has  been  said  to  have  the  power  to  transform  himself  into 
an  angel  of  light;  and  because  of  that  ability  to  transform  himself,  the 
Apostle  Paul  asked  the  Corinthians: 

Do  you  think  it  is  any  great  thing  that  his  ministers  can  like- 
wise transform  themselves  into  ministers  of  righteousness  (see  II  Cor. 
11:15), 

in  order  that  they  might  lead  the  children  of  men  astray.  Because  of 
Satan's  ability  thus  to  cleverly  deceive,  the  Lord  has  given  us  a  key 
in  the  scriptures  by  which  we  may  be  able  to  detect  him  when. he  comes 
presenting  himself  as  that  angel  of  light.  And  so  we  are  told  to  be 
constantly  on  guard  against  these  things. 

Moroni  said  it  is  as  easy  as  it  is  to  tell  the  darkness  from  the 
daylight  to  discover  evil  from  righteousness,  for,  "the  devil  persuadeth 
men  continually  to  do  evil  and  to  believe  not  in  Christ,  but  to  deny 
him,  and  to  serve  not  God  nor  keep  his  commandments.  And  he  per- 
suadeth no  man  to  do  good,  neither  his  angels,  neither  do  they  who 
subject  themselves  unto  him."  (See  Moroni  7:16-17.) 

Armor  of  God 

Because  of  that  power  of  evil  which  is  so  strong  in  the  world 
today,  the  great  teacher  to  the  Gentiles  declared: 


58  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  September  30 


First  Daif 


Put  on  the  whole  armour  of  God,  that  ye  might  be  able  to  stand 
against  the  wiles  of  the  devil,  in  an  evil  day.  (Eph  6:11.) 

But  he  taught  a  remarkable  lesson.  He  pictured  each  of  us  as  a 
man  of  armor,  clothed  on  various  strategic  points  of  his  body  with  an 
armor  that  would  protect  him  against  the  onslaughts  of  evil.  He  said: 
"Have  a  girdle  around  your  loins,"  suggesting  the  very  thing  which 
Bishop  Richards  has  spoken  to  us  about,  that  one  of  the  avenues  by 
which  he  finds  most  easy  to  overthrow  humankind  is  unchastity.  So 
the  Apostle  Paul  admonished  that  we  have  a  girdle  around  our  loins. 

We  are  counseled  to  put  on  the  breastplate  of  righteousness  over 
our  hearts,  suggesting  that  our  conduct  in  life  should  always  be  right 
and  proper.  Have  our  feet  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the  gospel 
of  peace,  or  in  other  words,  our  objectives,  the  goal  we  set  out  to 
achieve  in  life  be  in  harmony  with  the  gospel  of  peace;  and  have  on 
the  helmet  of  salvation  and  take  the  shield  of  faith  and  the  sword  of 
the  spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God.  Thus  armored,  we  are  now  pre- 
pared with  the  weapons  common  to  the  warfare  of  Paul's  day,  com- 
parable to  those  things  which  we  would  have  in  similar  way  upon  us 
today,  to  attack  and  to  fight  successfully  and  to  win  this  battle  in  which 
the  forces  of  evil  and  the  forces  of  righteousness  are  contending 
today. 

Experience  with  Power  of  Evil 

I  want  to  bear  you  my  solemn  witness  that  I  know  there  are  such 
forces  in  the  world  today.  It  would  seem  to  me  somewhat  significant 
as  I  have  thought  about  it,  that  the  first  and  only  experience  of  its 
kind  I  ever  had,  came  shortly  after  I  came  into  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve  when  I  was  asked  to  administer  to  a  young  woman  who  was 
possessed  of  an  evil  spirit.  Seemingly,  there  might  have  been  a  pur- 
pose in  letting  me  know  that  these  powers  were  around.  In  this  ex- 
perience, as  I  was  challenged  by  the  evil  spirit,  the  hairs  on  my  head 
felt  as  though  pin  pricks  were  in  every  hair  and  coursing  down  my 
body.  I  knew  in  that  experience  the  power  of  evil,  and  I  knew  again 
the  superior  power  of  the  priesthood  and  the  powers  of  the  Living  God. 
I  came  on  that  occasion  to  understand  what  the  Savior  admonished 
in  his  day  to  his  disciples  when  he  said:  "The  prince  of  the  darkness 
which  is  of  this  world  cometh,  and  hath  nothing  in  me." 

He  was  trying  to  impress  upon  his  disciples  likewise  that  Satan 
would  come  to  each  of  them  with  cunning,  temptation  and  deceit. 
Latter-day  Saints,  the  prince  of  darkness  which  is  of  this  world  com- 
eth among  us  today.  He  is  knocking  without  the  door  of  every  one  of 
us,  of  you  and  me  and  all  who  bear  the  names  within  themselves  of 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ,  and 
I  pray  God  that  he  may  find  nothing  in  us,  and  will  go  away  and  let 
us  alone. 

I  bear  you  my  testimony  that  I  know  these  powers  are  in  the 
world  and  I  know  the  powers  6f  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  are  suffl- 


PRESIDENT  J.  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR.  59 


cient  to  thwart  these  powers  of  darkness.  God  give  us  strength  and 
understanding  sufficient  to  our  day,  to  help  us  to  live  worthy  of  the 
callings  to  which  we  have  been  called  and  be  able  successfully  to  as- 
sail these  powers  of  darkness,  and  to  win  in  this  greatest  of  all  com- 
bats known  in  the  world  today.  I  pray,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.: 

The  Presiding  Bishopric  will  meet  the  bishoprics  of  the  Church 
here  at  the  Tabernacle  this  evening  at  7  o'clock.  Members  of  all 
bishoprics,  their  ward  clerks,  assistant  ward  clerks,  stake  and  ward 
supervisors  of  ward  teaching,  and  all  ward  teachers,  stake  Aaronic 
Priesthood  committees,  ward  Aaronic  Priesthood  general  secretaries, 
quorum  advisers,  stake  and  ward  committees  for  adult  members  of 
the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  and  the  high  council  member  advisers  to  the 
program  for  Latter-day  Saint  girls  are  requested  to  attend.  The 
stake  presidencies  and  all  high  councilors  are  invited.  We  ought  to 
have  a  good  meeting. 

Any  important  calls  and  messages  that  may  have  come  to  us  for 
persons  supposed  to  be  in  attendance  at  the  conference  will  be  an- 
nounced at  the  dismissal  of  this  meeting  over  the  loud-speaking  system 
on  the  grounds. 

As  has  been  already  announced,  the  choir  music  for  these  two 
sessions  today  has  been  furnished  by  the  Singing  Mothers  from  the 
Jordan  Valley  Region  and  the  four  stakes  in  Provo  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Sister  Madsen,  Brother  Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ.  Brother 
J.  Spencer  Cornwall  has  led  us  in  the  congregational  singing. 

We  would  like  to  extend  to  Sister  Madsen  and  her  excellent 
chorus  our  deepest  and  sincerest  gratitude  for  the  splendid  music 
which  they  have  furnished,  not  only  at  this  conference  but  at  con- 
ferences which  have  preceded  this,  and  to  express  the  hope  that  she 
and  her  group  may  be  spared  yet  a  long  time  to  entertain  us  and  build 
us  up  with  their  splendid  music. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  will  now  sing,  "Send  Out 
Thy  Light."  The  closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Vivian 
B.  Coon  of  the  Oquirrh  Stake,  after  which  the  conference  will  stand 
adjourned  until  10  o'clock  tomorrow  morning.  Saturday,  October  1. 

The  proceedings  of  that  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  of 
Salt  Lake  City  and  by  arrangement  through  KSL  over  the  other 
stations  to  which  you  are  now  listening  and  will  be  televised  over  KSL 
television  station,  channel  5. 

Tomorrow  morning  the  audience  will  please  be  in  their  seats  not 
later  than  ten  minutes  before  the  time  of  beginning. 

Singing  by  the  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers,  "Send  Out  Thy 
Light." 

The  benediction  was  offered  by  President  Vivian  B.  Coon  of  the 
Oquirrh  Stake. 


60  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  1 


Second  Diiy 


SECOND  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 

Conference  reconvened  at  10:00  a.m.  Saturday,  October  1 ,  1949. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.  presided  at  this  session  of  the  con- 
ference and  President  David  O.  McKay,  at  the  request  of  President 
George  Albert  Smith,  who  was  at  home,  resting,  conducted  the  serv- 
ices. 

The  singing  during  this  session  was  by  the  congregation,  Elder 
Richard  P.  Condie  conducting. 

PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 

After  having  a  very  strenuous  day  yesterday,  President  Smith 
deems  it  advisable  to  rest  at  home  and  his  brethren  have  urged  him 
so  to  do.  He  has  requested  that  David  O.  McKay  conduct  the  ser- 
vices. 

This  is  the  third  session  of  the  120th  semi-annual  conference  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  convened  in 
the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

The  General  Authorities  all  are  present  except  Elder  Alma 
Sonne  of  the  Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  who  is  in  Europe  in  charge  of 
the  European  Mission;  Elder  Thomas  E.  McKay,  one  of  the  Assist- 
ants to  the  Twelve,  who  is  at  home  convalescing  from  a  very  severe 
recent  illness;  and  President  S.  Dilworth  Young  of  the  First  Council 
of  the  Seventy,  who  is  in  charge  of  the  New  England  Mission. 

These  services  will  be  broadcast  in  the  Assembly  Hall  over  a 
loud-speaking  system  and  by  television. 

The  proceedings  of  this  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  of 
Salt  Lake  City  and  by  arrangement  through  KSL  over  the  following 
stations:  KEYY  at  Pocatello,  KVNU  at  Logan,  KSUB  at  Cedar 
City,  KSVC  at  Richfield,  KJAM  at  Vernal,  KID  at  Idaho  Falls,  and 
KGEM  at  Boise.  This  session  will  be  broadcast  by  delayed  transcrip- 
tion over  KTXO  at  Grand  Junction  and  KTYL  at  Mesa.  It  will  also 
be  televised  over  KSL  television  station,  channel  5. 

As  announced  yesterday,  any  important  messages  and  calls  that 
come  to  us  for  persons  supposed  to  be  in  attendance  at  the  conference 
will  be  announced  at  the  dismissal  of  this  meeting  over  the  loud- 
speaking  system  on  the  grounds.  Everyone  will  do  well  to  listen  care- 
fully to  such  announcements  as  something  may  be  of  importance  to 
some  of  you. 

The  singing  during  this  morning's  session  will  be  by  the  congre- 
gation, Elder  Richard  P.  Condie  conducting  and  Elder  Roy  M.  Darley 
at  the  organ. 

We  will  begin  the  morning  services  by  the  congregation  singing, 
"O  Ye  Mountains  High,"  after  which  the  opening  prayer  will  be  of- 
fered by  President  L.  Tom  Perry  of  Cache  Stake. 


ELDER  JOHN  A.  WIDTSOE 


61 


The  congregation  sang  the  hymn.  "O  Ye  Mountains  High." 

The  opening  prayer  was  offered  by  President  L.  Tom  Perry  of 
the  Cache  Stake. 

The  congregation  sang  the  hymn,  "I  Know  That  My  Redeemer 
Lives." 

ELDER  JOHN  A.  WIDTSOE 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  dear  brethren  and  sisters,  I  trust  and  pray  that  while  I  speak 
I  may  be  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  that  some  of  my  words 
at  least  may  touch  the  hearts  of  some  of  those  who  listen. 

It  is  good  to  meet  in  these  great  conferences.  Thousands  of  us 
are  of  one  mind,  of  one  faith,  of  one  purpose.  It  is  always  good  to  bear 
witness  to  the  reality  of  the  restoration  of  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  I  bear  that  witness  for  myself  that  this  is  indeed  the  work  of 
God,  that  we  are  not  following  a  mistaken  path,  but  that  we  are  walk- 
ing in  the  light  of  truth,  and  that  more  than  one  hundred  years  of 
existence  of  this  Church  of  the  restoration  have  demonstrated  the 
truth,  the  integrity,  and  the  reality  of  the  work  begun  under  divine 
direction  by  the  Prophet  Joseph. 

A  Great  Heritage 

We  have  a  great  heritage,  we  Latter-day  Saints,  a  heritage  of 
doctrine,  of  practice,  of  tradition.  I  know  of  none  like  it.  Just  as  these 
conferences  coming  every  six  months  stand  out  as  unique  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  world,  so  that  which  we  have  inherited  from  those  who 
have  gone  before  us  is  equally  unique  and  distinctive.  It  is  our  duty 
to  respect  this  heritage,  to  honor  it,  and  to  use  it.  Things  that  are  not 
used  are  dead.  They  are  of  little  or  no  value  to  human  kind.  It  is  only 
by  use  that  knowledge  and  all  the  possessions  of  mankind  blossom 
into  life  and  become  of  real  value. 

If  this  were  a  testimony  meeting,  there  are  thousands  here  who 
would  bear  witness  to  their  knowledge  of  the  truth  of  this  work.  A 
testimony  is  a  living  thing.  Like  all  living  things  it  must  be  fed  and 
nourished  and  cared  for  if  it  is  really  to  be  of  service  and  value  in 
human  life  and  in  carrying  out  the  purposes  of  the  Lord.  So  the  heri- 
tage, that  which  has  been  given  us,  must  be  used  to  become  effective 
in  the  building  of  God's  kingdom. 

We  have  noble  traditions  handed  down  from  the  past.  My  mind 
has  been  concerned  for  some  time  with  one  of  these  traditions.  Some 
may  say  that  this  tradition  is  not  spiritual,  therefore  not  part  of  the 
gospel,  but  the  Lord  himself  has  said  to  some  of  his  servants  in  early 
days  that  before  him  all  things  are  spiritual,  provided,  as  I  understand 
it,  they  are  used  in  the  building  of  God's  kingdom. 


62 

Saturday,   October  I 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 


A  Land-Loving  People 

We  Latter-day  Saints  are  a  land-loving  people.  We  believe  in 
the  land.  We  are  a  land-using  people.  Most  of  us  are  farmers,  directly 
or  indirectly.  Some  few  years  ago — not  many  years  ago — in  a  census 
then  taken,  approximately  sixty-five  percent,  at  least,  of  our  people 
were  engaged  in  agriculture,  in  tilling  the  soil,  or  in  making  use  of  the 
things  that  grow  upon  the  mountains,  in  the  valleys  and  on  the  deserts. 
That  has  given  us  strength.  I  hope  that  we  as  a  people  will  not  depart 
from  that  tradition.  Those  who  own  the  land  and  use  it  in  the  end 
will  determine  the  future  of  mankind.  It  will  not  co'me  from  those  who 
work  in  the  factories  or  who  live  in  crowded  cities;  from  those  whose 
feet  are  planted  upon  the  land  will  come  the  great  determining  factors 
in  shaping  human  destiny.  It  has  been  so  in  the  past.  It  will  be  so  in 
the  future.  We  Latter-day  Saints  must  ever  remember  the  sanctity 
and  the  holiness  of  the  land  given  us  by  the  Father.  There  is  safety 
in  the  land. 

New  Industrial  Era 

Most  of  us  live  in  the  western  part  of  the  United  States.  In  all 
these  western  states,  in  Utah,  the  mother  of  them  all,  a  new  era  is 
opening,  an  industrial  era.  Nature  has  laid  down  in  these  western 
territories  large  quantities  of  raw  materials,  many,  most  of  them  per- 
haps, of  a  non-metallic  character.  These  deposits  will  be  used  more 
and  more  in  the  future.  There  will  be  a  reaching  out  to  supply  the 
needs  of  mankind  by  the  use  of  these  raw  materials,  of  which  great 
deposits  have  been  laid  down  by  nature  throughout  the  centuries.  I 
am  afraid  a  good  many  of  us  will  be  tempted  to  say,  "I'll  join  the  in- 
dustrial procession.  I  will  forget  the  land."  This  industrial  era  is 
welcomed.  There's  no  question  about  that;  but  as  it  arises,  we  must 
keep  our  minds  steadily  upon  the  old  established  tradition  that  we  are 
a  land-loving  and  land-using  people.  We  must  remember  that  indus- 
try itself  thrives  best  in  the  midst  of  an  agricultural  community.  Wit- 
ness the  social  troubles  of  today  in  our  own  land.  Analyze  them,  and 
you  soon  discover  that  if  we  had  built,  as  the  Saints  a  century  ago 
wanted  us  to  build,  we  would  have  escaped  many  of  the  troubles, 
chiefly  by  giving  heed  to  the  call  of  the  land. 

Strength  from  Soil 

When  Joseph  Smith  laid  out  his  ideal  city  many  years  ago,  he 
planned  it  so  that  while  the  farms  would  all  be  around  the  city,  every 
homestead  would  have  a  kitchen  garden  in  the  rear  of  the  house  and 
a  flower  garden  in  front.  There  was  tremendous  wisdom  in  that.  Men, 
no  matter  what  their  work  may  be,  or  what  their  daily  callings  may 
require  of  thejn,  if  steadily  and  vigorously  they  touch  the  soil,  be  it 
ever  so  lightly  or  ever  so  small  an  acreage,  perhaps  a  back  yard,  will 
receive  from  that  contact  spiritual  strength.  There  is  something  in  the 


ELDER  JOHN  A.  WIDTSOE 


63 


soil  and  mother  earth  that  gives  strength  to  all  who  make  things  grow 
on  the  land. 

One  great  man  in  our  history,  Henry  Ford,  sensing  this  thing, 
undertook  some  years  ago  to  make  arrangements  by  which  all  the 
employees  of  one  of  his  factories  might  be  provided  with  homes  sur- 
rounded by  a  little  acreage,  on  which  the  owners  might  toil  or  play 
throughout  the  year,  and  thereby  take  away  the  monotony  that  fol- 
lows work  in  a  factory.  The  plan  has  only  partially  been  carried  out 
as  yet,  but  thinking  men  are  looking  in  that  direction  for  social  safety. 

Some  years  ago,  at  the  time  of  the  first  great  war,  we  undertook 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  in  common  with  other  cities,  to  raise  all  the  food- 
stuff we  could  on  vacant  lots  and  in  the  back  yards  of  the  city.  We 
were  not  successful  in  converting  all  of  them  to  small  farms,  but  quite 
a  number  were  so  converted.  When  the  season  was  over  and  we  took 
an  inventory  of  what  we  had  done,  we  found  that  six  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  worth  of  food  had  been  raised  in  the  back  yards  and 
vacant  lots  of  Salt  Lake  City.  That  was  a  real  contribution  to  our  war 
needs  in  those  days. 

Reclamation  of  Land 

Our  young  people  often  say,  "There  is  no  more  land,  none  for 
us."  To  my  office  come  quite  regularly  men,  usually  young  men,  who 
want  to  know  where  to  go  to  find  new  land.  There  is  much  land  still 
available  in  the  west.  We  can  make  more  if  we  want  to,  for  nearly  all 
of  these  western  states  lie  under  irrigation.  I  trust  you  of  Utah  will 
not  feel  embarrassed  when  I  tell  you  that  the  water  now  used  in  the 
state  of  Utah  could  be  made  to  serve  twice  the  area  now  being  served. 
We  have  it  in  our  own  power,  with  the  canals  and  reservoirs  and 
conditions  that  exist  today,  to  double  the  area  of  cultivated  land  in 
this  state  alone.  The  same  holds  true  in  nearly  all  the  western  states. 
Moreover,  it  is  a  pity  that  the  hundreds  of  pioneer  irrigation  projects 
in  this  and  neighboring  states,  built  by  the  pioneers  in  their  poverty, 
with  their  small  means  and  poor  tools,  remain  unfinished.  In  the  state 
of  Utah  alone  we  have  hundreds  of  pioneer  irrigation  projects  wait- 
ing for  modern  pioneers  to  finish  them  with  modern  appliances,  mod- 
ern means.  That  is  the  challenge  of  the  pioneer  spirit  to  young  and 
old.  We  are  fixing  our  eyes  too  much  upon  the  great  projects.  They 
will  come,  but  meanwhile  the  little  projects  scattered  all  over  this 
western  country  should  be  our  first  obligation  as  individuals,  as  com- 
munities. The  states  and  federal  government  will  and  must  take 
care  of  the  larger  ones. 

Fertility  of  Soil 

I  have  noticed  also,  to  my  sorrow  throughout  a  rather  long  life 
now,  that  the  fertility  of  our  soils  seems  to  be  diminishing.  Our  crop 
yields  are  not  what  they  were  some  years  ago,  using  the  same  kind 
of  methods  as  we  used  then.  There  seems  to  be  a  diminution.  That  is 


64  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday-   October  1 


Second  Day 


not  the  way  we  should  preserve  our  heritage.  When  the  pioneers  came 
into  the  west,  they  found  great  areas  of  land  made  fertile  by  centuries 
of  sunshine,  wind,  and  rain,  frost,  and  summer  heat.  Plant  food  lay 
upon  the  top  of  the  soil,  so  to  speak.  We  have  used  it,  but  have  not 
paid  back  what  we  have  taken  from  the  land.  In  spiritual  and  in  tem- 
poral matters  the  law  of  paying  for  what  man  gets  is  ever  uppermost. 

You  farmers  who  are  here,  you  children  of  farmers,  you  under- 
stand what  I  mean.  The  soil  is  a  willing  servant.  It  yields  to  the  farmer 
if  the  farmer  treats  it  right.  Forty-nine  or  fifty  years  ago  this  last 
June  I  visited  the  great  Rothhamsted  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 
the  mother  of  the  hundreds  of  experiment  stations  in  the  world.  The 
head  of  the  station  kindly  spent  a  day  with  me.  He  took  me  to  a  rolling 
hill,  rather  two  hills  with  a  valley  between,  and  showed  me  about  ten 
strips  of  the  same  crop,  originally,  then  in  full  blossom.  One  was  red, 
another  blue,  and  still  another  yellow,  each  one  bearing  a  different 
color.  As  we  stood  admiring  the  scene  in  the  beautiful  English  June 
sunshine,  he  said,  "All  that  has  come  because  we  have  asked  the  soil 
to  do  certain  things  in  a  certain  way,  and  the  soil  has  responded.  That 
which  we  started  with  has  disappeared  under  the  influence  of  our 
culture."  Nearby,  was  another  field  where  wheat  had  been  grown 
continuously  for  fifty  years.  The  soil  still  tried  its  best  to  do  its  duty, 
but  there  was  only  a  small  yield.  In  a  nearby  field,  properly  handled, 
the  wheat  stood  high,  comparable  with  the  best. 

Man  has  control  over  the  earth.  The  Lord  has  given  us  mastery. 
We  are  not  servants  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  We  should  use  that 
mastery  to  preserve  our  heritage.  This  theme  may  not  be  directly  spir- 
itual, but  it  is  important  to  help  us  in  our  spiritual  lives,  perhaps  as 
important  as  anything  that  we  give  our  attention  to  as  a  people. 

Guiding  Principles 

I  rejoice  at  the  testimonies  borne  here  today  and  yesterday.  I 
have  enjoyed  them  very  much.  I  have  been  thrilled  by  them.  I  could 
see  running  through  the  talks  the  age-old  principles  that  have  made 
us  what  we  are  today,  a  great  people,  new  witnesses  of  Christ.  I  saw 
in  the  talks  the  foundation  stones  of  this  work  here  mentioned  one 
after  the  other  by  those  who  spoke  yesterday.  Faith  has  always  been 
the  most  imporant  cornerstone  of  our  lives  in  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  basic  to  know  that  God  lives,  that  the  story  of  Joseph 
Smith  is  true,  that  the  Lord  loves  us,  and  has  a  great  destiny  for  us. 
Every  speaker  touched  upon  that.  Another  foundation  stone  is  that 
we  must  seek  intelligence,  education,  learning,  knowledge.  I  was 
thrilled  by  the  quotation  made  by  President  [Levi  Edgar]  Young 
yesterday,  showing  how  the  early  hard-handed  farmers  of  middle  age 
or  beyond  gathered  after  the  day's  toil  to  study  Latin,  Greek,  and 
subjects  of  the  mind.  We  must  not  forsake  the  tradition  of  education. 
Our  fathers  set  up  also  the  doctrine  of  industry.  There  is  no  place  for 
idleness.  The  idler,  the  deliberate  idler,  has  no  real  place  in  the  king- 


ELDER  CLIFFORD  E.  YOUNG 


65 


dom  of  God.  All  these  principles  have  been  bound  together  by  another 
foundation  stone,  helping  one  another,  which  we  call  in  modern  lan- 
guage "cooperation."  We  cannot  be  individual  members  of  the  Church 
sufficient  unto  ourselves.  The  very  fact  of  membership  in  the  Church 
and  our  testimonies  compel  us  to  think  of  our  neighbor  as  we  go 
through  life.  With  these  guiding  principles:  faith,  education,  industry, 
and  cooperation,  with  our  feet  firmly  on  the  land,  we  are  safe.  Disas- 
ter cannot  overtake  us. 

Now  these  principles  and  others  were  mentioned  yesterday.  They 
are  always  mentioned.  There  is  nothing  new  in  the  age-old  gospel 
taught  by  the  Lord  to  Father  Adam  when  the  story  of  man  upon  this 
earth  began. 

I  am  grateful  to  be  a  member  of  this  Church,  to  be  one  with  you. 
I  trust  I  am  one  with  you.  I  am  grateful  for  the  blessings  that  flow  to 
those  who  are  faithful  in  this  great  work.  May  we  all  be  faithful  and 
worthy  of  the  blessings  we  need  and  desire,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  CLIFFORD  E.  YOUNG 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 

I  sincerely  trust,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  that  what  I  may  say 
may  be  prompted  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Lord.  I  repeat  again  what 
I  have  said  sometimes  before,  it  is  always  an  overwhelming  thing  for 
me  to  stand  before  you,  and  yet  we  Latter-day  Saints  have  so  much 
in  common  that,  because  of  the  vastness  of  our  assembly,  we  should 
not  unnecessarily  be  disturbed;  but  somehow  or  other  as  one  stands 
here,  it  is  impossible  to  overcome  this  feeling. 

I  read  something  the  other  day  that  is  encouraging.  Someone  said 
that  a  person's  brain  was  a  most  marvelous  mechanism,  that  it  begins 
to  work  at  one's  birth  and  never  stops  until  one  stands  up  and  attempts 
to  speak  in  public. 

Practical  Religion 

I  appreciate  very  much  the  remarks  of  Brother  Widtsoe.  There 
is  something  about  our  theology,  our  religion,  that  is  so  practical,  and 
of  course  it  necessarily  must  be  so.  Mormonism  is  a  practical  religion. 
Indeed  no  religion  is  of  much  value  unless  it  has  a  practical  applica- 
tion. 

Last  winter  some  of  us  had  a  rather  unusual  experience.  We  were 
coming  from  the  East  on  a  train  of  luxury.  We  had  left  Chicago  in 
the  afternoon,  having  all  the  comforts  that  one  could  desire,  in  fact 
more  than  one  needed — warmth,  plenty  of  food;  the  train  was  almost 
a  palace,  and  we  were  riding  at  ease,  feeling  so'  secure.  The  next  morn- 
ing we  found  ourselves  in  the  throes  of  a  blizzard,  snowbound.  That 
night  the  heat  was  off  in  the  train,  and  by  the  next  morning  there  was 


66  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  1 


Second  Day 


no  food.  For  some  time  it  was  too  cold  to  leave  the  train  because  of 
the  intense  blizzard.  Later  we  found  shelter  in  some  railroad  houses 
where  we  had  some  heat.  The  blizzard  continued  until  the  third  day 
when  it  eased  enough  so  that  the  railroad  company  could  procure 
planes  from  Fort  Warren,  the  military  base  near  Cheyenne,  and  food 
could  be  brought  in  by  airplanes.  Even  then  we  did  not  get  much  of 
it  because  the  gale  was  so  severe  that  the  food  was  scattered  to  the 
four  winds.  But  it  brought  home  this  realization:  we  may  be  secure 
today  and  yet  suddenly  be  placed  in  a  position  of  want.  These  things 
can  happen  so  suddenly  that  it  behooves  us  to  be  on  our  guard  con- 
stantly, to  be  always  in  a  position  to  follow  those  who  counsel  us  as 
to  what  we  should  do  in  these  important  matters. 

We  have  been  told  of  the  great  growth  of  the  welfare  plan,  and 
we  are  proud  of  it.  As  one  views  the  welfare  films  which  depict  the 
marvelous  growth  of  this  agency  in  the  Church,  one  cannot  help  sens- 
ing a  deep  feeling  of  pride,  gratitude  for  the  blessings  that  we  enjoy 
as  Latter-day  Saints;  that  we  belong  to  a  Church  that  is  practical;  that 
when  we  pray  for  the  needy  and  those  who  may  be  in  want,  we  not 
only  pray  but  we  also  do  something  about  it.  Our  people  are  a  praying 
people.  We  should  be  a  praying  people,  but  we  cannot  accomplish 
much,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  at  least  that  has  been  my  experience, 
by  just  sitting  or  kneeling  down  and  praying,  and  then  doing  nothing 
about  it.  The  Lord  never  intended  that. 

Work  Accomplished 

In  the  very  beginning  of  the  Church,  the  Prophet  Joseph  had  to 
work.  The  Lord  gave  him  a  task  that  was  seemingly  insurmountable. 
He  revealed  the  sacred  record,  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  instructed 
him  to  translate  it.  When  you  recall  the  fact  that  here  was  an  un- 
learned youth  with  no  schooling,  no  education  in  the  light  of  what 
we  today  call  education,  who  was  given  a  sacred  record  and  told  to 
translate  it  and  that  God  would  help  him,  it  becomes  one  of  the  most 
challenging  things  that  we  have  in  Church  history.  Consider  the  fact 
that  the  Book  of  Mormon  contains  a  vocabulary  of  over  five  thousand 
different  words  (the  Bible  has  a  little  over  four  thousand.)  Think  of 
the  magnitude  of  the  task!  The  Lord  expects  his  servants  to  work.  He 
expects  us  to  work,  and  here  he  was  teaching  the  Prophet  Joseph 
something  fundamental  in  this  Church.  When  the  Pioneers  came  out 
here,  these  valleys  were  not  made  to  blossom  as  the  rose  by  the  peo- 
ple's merely  kneeling  down  and  praying.  They  had  to  do  something 
about  it.  The  Lord  expected  it,  and  they  did  do  something  about  it. 

I  remember  reading  a  statement  of  Emerson  Hough,  made  after 
he  had  visited  southern  Utah.  When  he  saw  what  had  been  accomp- 
lished in  the  building  of  a  canal  on  the  Rio  Virgin  through  the  solid 
rock,  it  was  a  challenge  to  him.  The  desert"  was  made  literally  to  blos- 
som as  the  rose.  And  when  he  saw  it  and  learned  that  the  men  had 
been  called  on  the  job  through  an  announcement  of  the  bishop  in  a 


ELDER  CLIFFORD  E.  YOUNG 


67 


Sabbath  day  meeting- — a  request  for  men  and  teams  with  their  scrap- 
ers and  wagons — they  had  no  mechanized  machinery  in  those  days 
■ — and  those  men  responded  and  for  their  pay  received  shares  in  the 
irrigation  canal — when  Emerson  Hough  saw  all  this  and  learned  the 
story,  he  said,  "Only  a  Mormon  bishop  could  accomplish  such  a 
thing." 

Prayer  and  Works 

We  are  proud,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  that  the  Lord  has  estab- 
lished this  practice  among  us,  and  it  is  a  glorious  privilege  and  a  bless- 
ing for  all  of  us  that  when  we  pray  for  those  who  are  in  need,  we 
have  something  with  which  we  can  help  the  Lord  to  answer  our  pray- 
ers. I  do  not  want  to  be  misunderstood  in  this.  I  know  that  the  Lord 
can  hear  and  answer  our  prayers,  but  he  does  not  always  answer  them 
in  the  way  we  would  like  to  have  them  answered.  He  answers  them 
in  his  way,  and  in  a  way  that  gives  strength  and  character  to  his 
people,  gives  faith  to  them. 

My  father  was  a  physician.  I  recall  one  time  going  with  him  to 
administer  to  someone  who  was  very  ill,  and  I  remember  his  counsel. 
After  father  had  administered  to  this  brother,  he  gave  him  some  advice 
saying:  "Now,  you  do  these  things,  and  they  will  help  you  to  get 
well,"  and  the  brother  said:  "Well,  Brother  Young,  can't  the  Lord 
heal  me?"  Father  said:  "Of  course  the  Lord  can  heal  you,  but  the 
Lord  has  given  us  ways  and  means  that  will  help  us  to  be  healed,  and 
he  expects  us  to  use  them." 

Faith  of  Dr.  Middleton 

I  recall  another  occasion  that  came  into  the  experience  of  Sister 
Young  and  me  when  our  only  boy  was  seriously  ill.  At  that  time  peri- 
tonitis was  generally  fatal.  This  boy  had  had  it  for  several  days,  and 
it  appeared  to  be  a  hopeless  case.  The  surgeon,  the  late  Dr.  George 
W.  Middleton,  who  operated  on  the  boy,  removed  what  little  of  his 
appendix  he  could.  He  remained  with  us  all  night,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing told  us  that  we  should  prepare  for  the  worst.  I  pay  tribute  to  Dr. 
Middleton.  He  was  a  man  of  great  faith.  Those  who  knew  him  knew 
that  he  had  faith.  Sometimes  he  was  regarded  as  too  liberal  in  his 
thinking,  but  he  did  have  faith  in  the  providence  and  the  priesthood 
of  the  Almighty.  Finally  he  said:  "Let  us  administer  to  this  boy."  I 
anointed  him,  and  I  recall  the  substance  of  Dr.  Middleton's  sealing 
prayer.  "Father,"  he  said,  "we  have  done  all  that  we  can  for  this  boy. 
We  ask  thee  now  with  thy  divine  power  to  touch  him  and  to  heal  him 
and  to  sanctify  to  his  good  the  things  that  we  in  our  weak  way  have 
done."  That  prayer  stimulated  faith.  The  Lord  healed  our  boy. 

Necessity  of  Work 

It  is  a  glorious  privilege,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  to  belong  to  this 
Church,  a  Church  that  is  practical.  We  have  great  spiritual  powers. 
These  practical  things  have  the  elements  of  spirituality  about  them. 


68 

Saturday.  October  1 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


5,'cont/  Dai; 


Anyone  who  knew  anything  about  the  Prophet  Brigham  Young  knew 
that  he  was  spiritual,  that  he  had  unlimited  faith,  but  with  it  all  he 
realized  that  his  people  had  to  work  and  had  to  struggle  for  what  they 
received,  and  he  inspired  the  people  to  provide  for  themselves.  It  is 
said  on  one  occasion  that  President  Young  was  in  a  meeting  where 
the  brethren  were  discussing  some  theological  subjects,  a  meeting  that 
had  been  called  in  Nauvoo  while  the  temple  was  being  built.  President 
Young  arose  and  said:  "If  you  will  excuse  me,  I  should  like  to  go  and  , 
work  on  the  temple."  It  is  a  striking  example  of  work  where  work  is 
necessary. 

Now  we  are  faced  today  with  some  rather  serious  problems,  and 
I  say  to  you  that  we  will  be  grateful  before  we  are  through  that  we 
have  within  this  Church  those  elements  that  teach  us  to  provide  and 
to  help  the  Lord  to  provide  for  the  things  for  which  we  pray,  and  when 
we  pray  for  those  who  are  in  need,  we  are  prepared  to  help  the  Lord 
in  answering  those  prayers. 

Spiritual  Needs 

Now,  there  is  another  phase  of  it.  We  frequently  pray  for  those 
who  mourn  and  who  are  bowed  down  with  sorrow,  and  that  is  as  it 
should  be,  but  we  have  the  same  elements  of  comfort  in  the  operation 
of  the  Holy  Priesthood.  We  are  constantly  urging  our  brethren  and 
sisters  to  visit  our  people  and  to  administer  to  them  in  their  spiritual 
needs.  That  is  another  practical  way  of  carrying  out  some  of  the  teach- 
ings that  we  hold  dear.  Our  ward  teachers  and  our  Relief  Society 
teachers  have  a  charge  to  bring  comfort  to  those  who  are  less  fortu- 
nate than  we  and  who  may  be  spiritually  bowed  down,  who  may  be 
lacking  in  the  things  that  feed  the  soul.  We  can  bring  comfort  to  them 
and  help  them  in  their  problems. 

I  repeat  that  I  am  not  unmindful  that  sometimes  the  Lord  does 
not  always  answer  the  prayers  the  way  we  would  like  to  have  them, 
but  he  does  answer  them  the  way  they  should  be.  At  times  we  may 
need  physical  blessings,  and  we  do  not  always  receive  them,  but  we 
receive  spiritual  blessings  and  those  spiritual  blessings  help  us  to  make 
adjustments  and  to  feel  that  no  matter  what  is,  it  will  be  right  if  we 
are  in  tune  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Lord  does  not  expect  us  to  be 
selfish  about  it.  He  expects  us  to  acknowledge  his  hand,  and  then  we 
shall  be  prepared  for  whatever  comes.  That  is  the  spirit  of  the  gospel 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  may  God  help  us  that  we  may  always 
have  it.  I  am  grateful  to  you,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  for  your  asso- 
ciation, for  the  strength  that  I  feel  as  I  visit  among  you  in  your  stakes. 
I  am  grateful  for  my  brethren  with  whom  I  am  associated,  for  their 
loving  kindness  and  for  their  faith.  I  am  grateful  to  the  Lord  for  his 
goodness  to  me.  I  pray  that  we  may  never  fail  in  acknowledging  him 
and  in  doing  the  things  that  we  should  do  to  further  his  work  tem- 
porally and  spiritually,  and  I  humbly  ask  it  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
Amen. 


ELDER  MILTON  R.  HUNTER 


69 


ELDER  MILTON  R.  HUNTER 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

My  dear  brethren  and  sisters,  as  I  look  into  the  faces  of  this  vast 
congregation  I  feel  indeed  very  humble.  I  ask  our  Father  in  heaven 
if  he  will  direct  the  things  I  say. 

Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ 

Whenever  I  hear  the  song  sung,  "I  Know  that  My  Redeemer 
Lives,"  I  thrill  throughout  my  entire  body.  This  morning  I  would  like 
to  bear  testimony  to  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  and  point  out  a  few 
highlights  of  his  great  mission.  I  know  as  I  know  that  I  am  standing 
here  this  morning — and  I  am  certainly  thoroughly  convinced  of  that 
fact — that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Savior  of  the  world,  our  Redeemer, 
our  Lord,  our  Advocate  with  the  Father,  the  Master  of  the  plan  of 
salvation,  the  Judge  of  this  earth;  and,  in  conjunction  with  the  Father, 
he  is  our  Lord,  our  God,  and  our  King. 

We  read  in  modern  revelation  that  Jesus  Christ  was  and  is  our 
elder  brother,  the  "Firstborn"  unto  the  Father.  We  accept,  as  Latter- 
day  Saints,  the  teachings  of  the  prophets  to  the  effect  that  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  was  the  Only  Begotten  Son  of  the  Eternal  Father  in  the 
flesh;  therefore,  the  revelation  I  referred  to  points  back  to  a  previous 
birth,  a  birth  in  the  spirit  world.  You  and  I  were  sons  and  daughters 
of  our  Eternal  Parents  in  the  spirit  world.  In  fact,  all  the  people  in 
this  world  were  of  that  family,  and  Jesus  Christ  was  the  Firstborn. 

Pre-Mortal  Life 

During  his  pre-mortal  life  Jesus  Christ  rose  to  the  status  of  God- 
hood.  At  that  time  he  was  foreordained  to  be  the  Savior  of  this  world. 
Father  Abraham  was  privileged  to  see  in  vision  the  grand  council  in 
heaven  that  was  held  prior  to  the  peopling  of  this  earth,  and  he  saw, 
as  the  Lord  showed  him,  "many  of  the  noble  and  great  ones."  The  Lord 
pointed  out: 

These  I  will  make  my  rulers.  .  .  .  Abraham,  thou  art  one  of  them; 
thou  wast  chosen  before  thou  wast  born.  (Abraham  3:23.) 

Joseph  Smith  tells  us  that  at  that  grand  council  the  head  God  of  all 
the  Gods  called  the  council,  and  the  purpose  was  to  present  a  plan 
whereby  his  children  were  to  come  into  mortal  earth  and  have  the  ex- 
perience of  mortality  and  then  return  back  into  the  presence  of  God. 
The  Eternal  Father  explained  to  his  children  that  mortal  beings  would 
forget  their  pre-morta)  experiences  and  the  gospel  truths  after  they 
had  come  from  the  presence  of  God  and,  therefore,  they  would  have 
to  have  a  Savior  in  order  that  they  might  be  taught  the  Gospel 
truths  again.  He  also  declared  that  they  would  not  have  the 
power  to  break  the  bands  of  death  and  bring  about  resurrection 
and  that  they  would  have  to  have  a  Savior  for  that  purpose  also. 


70  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  1  Second  Day 


As  he  explained  these  things,  he  asked  whom  he  should  send  to  be 
the  Savior.  Abraham  saw  that  there  stood  one  in  the  midst  of  the 
group  in  the  grand  council  in  heaven  "like  unto  God."  That  one  an- 
swered and  said:  "Here  am  I,  send  me."  He  said  that  he  would  come 
down  to  this  earth  and  give  men  their  free  agency 

And  they  who  keep  their  first  estate  shall  be  added  upon;  .  .  . 
and  they  who  keep  their  second  estate  shall  have  glory  added  upon 
their  heads  for  ever  and  ever  (Abraham  3:26.) 

and  all  the  honor  and  the  glory  should  go  to  the  Father. 

Mission  of  Jesus  Christ 

Abraham  saw  that  the  Eternal  Father  was  very  pleased  with  this 
one  like  unto  him  and  said  that  he  would  send  him.  At  that  time  he 
ordained  Jesus  Christ,  we  say  "foreordained"  him,  for  his  great  mis- 
sion. He  ordained  him  to  be  the  first  great  high  priest  over  this  earth 
and  gave  unto  him  the  keys  of  the  priesthood.  God  gave  the  Only 
Begotten  the  same  power  that  he  the  Eternal  Father  enjoyed,  the 
power  to  do  all  of  the  works  of  the  Father  with  and  for  the  Father. 
Elohim  named  that  priesthood  after  his  Only  Begotten  Son.  In  the 
relationship  to  this  earth,  it  was  to  be  called 

.  .  .  the  Holy  Priesthood,  after  the  Order  of  the  Son  of  God.  (D.  &  C. 
107:3.) 

It  bore  that  name  among  mortals  down  to  the  time  of  Abraham  and 
Melchizedek. 

The  Eternal  Father 'also  told  his  Son  that  he  would  name  the  plan 
of  salvation  after  him.  Thereupon  he  named  it  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  And  on  that  occasion  an  eternal  decree  went  forth  from  the 
throne  of  God  that  there  would  be  no  other  name  given  under  heaven 
whereby  mankind  could  be  saved,  save  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  With 
that  eternal  decree  going  forth,  we  know  that  the  true  Church  must 
bear  that  name  throughout  all  ages. 

There  are  two  great  factors  in  atonement  or  in  the  assignment 
given  to  the  Savior.  One  was  to  break  the  bands  of  death  and  give 
every  man  immortality,  i.e.,  resurrection.  The  other  was  to  teach  a 
gospel  plan  whereby  if  you  and  I  and  all  other  mortals  would  render 
obedience,  we  would  not  only  receive  immortality,  but  we  would  be 
also  brought  back  into  the  presence  of  God.  There  we  would  receive 
exaltation  along  with  him,  sharing  with  our  Father  and  his  Only  Be- 
gotten Son  all  the  same  type  of  glory,  power,  honor,  and  happiness 
that  they  enjoy. 

Gospel  Plan  Revealed 

Shortly  after  Adam  and  Eve  became  mortal  beings,  or  at  that 
time,  Jesus  Christ  began  his  active  mission  upon  this  earth  as  the 
Savior  of  this  world,  as  a  mediator  between  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  as  the  one  to  bring  the  gospel  to  mankind;   in  other  words, 


ELDER  MILTON  R.  HUNTER 


71 


he  began  his  work  to  bring  about  the  atonement.  He  did  so  by 
revealing  to  Father  Adam  and  Mother  Eve  the  gospel  plan  of 
salvation.  As  they  had  passed  into  mortality,  a  veil  had  been 
drawn  over  their  minds,  as  the  Lord  had  predicted  would  be; 
therefore,  they  had  become  spiritually  dead;  i.  e.,  they  forgot 
their  pre-mortal  experiences  and  the  gospel  doctrines  and  were 
banished  from  the  presence  of  God.  They  became  spiritually 
alive  by  applying  the  message  that  they  received  from  their  Savior. 
During  Adam's  period  and  throughout  Old  Testament  days,  Jesus 
was  known  as  Jehovah.  He  spoke  at  times  to  Adam  from  the  Garden 
of  Eden.  At  times  he  appeared  to  the  first  man,  and  on  other  occasions 
he  sent  angels  to  teach  the  father  of  the  human  family  eternal  truths, 
until  Adam  had  a  fulness  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  just  the  same 
as  you  and  I  as  Latter-day  Saints  enjoy  a  fulness  of  the  gospel  in  our 
dispensation.  On  one  occasion,  after  Adam  had  been  commanded  to 
offer  sacrifices,  this  particalar  event  occurred.  To  quote: 

And  after  many  days  an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  Adam, 
saying:  Why  dost  thou  offer  sacrifices  unto  the  Lord?  And  Adam  said 
unto  him:  I  know  not,  save  the  Lord  commanded  me. 

And  then  the  angel  spake,  saying:  This  thing  is  a  similitude  of  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father,  which  is  full  of  grace  and 
truth. 

Wherefore,  thou  do  all  thou  doest  in  the  name  of  the  Son,  and 
thou  shall  repent  and  call  upon  God  in  the  name  of  the  Son  forever- 
more.  (Moses  5:6-8.) 

Salvation  Through  Jesus 

Shortly  after  that  event  occurred,  the  voice  of  the  Lord  came  to 
Adam,  as  is  recorded  in  The  Pearl  of  Great  Price,  and  told  him  that 
in  the  Meridian  of  Time  that  his  Only  Begotten  would  come  into  the 
world,  would  live  and  teach  man  how  to  live,  would  die  and  break 
the  bands  of  death,  and  bring  about  the  atonement.  And  then  the 
voice  of  God  pointed  out  to  Adam  that  the  name  of  his  Only  Begotten 
would  be 

.  .  .  Jesus  Christ,  the  only  name  which  shall  be  given  under  heaven, 
whereby  salvation  shall  come  to  the  children  of  men.  (Moses  6:52.) 

Therefore  even  in  the  beginning,  in  the  first  dispensation  of  the  gos- 
pel, that  same  eternal  decree  went  forth  that  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
would  be  the  one  whereby  you  and  I  could  expect  salvation,  or  even 
more  than  that,  exaltation  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Following  the  days  of  Adam,  Jesus  Christ  continued  to  serve  as 
the  mediator  between  the  heavens  and  the  earth  by  revealing  the  gos- 
pel to  the  numerous  prophets  during  the  various  gospel  dispensations. 
On  a  number  of  occasions  he  even  appeared  to  some  of  the  great 
prophets. 

Earthly  Mission 

Finally,  as  the  holy  prophets  had  predicted,  in  the  Meridian  of 
Time  Jesus  Christ  came  into  this  world.  Latter-day  Saints  accept  the 


72  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  1 


Second  Day 


doctrine  that  he  was  actually  and  literally  the  Son.  heir  in  the  flesh, 
of  God  the  Eternal  Father.  He  was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  He  was 
the  only  man  in  this  life  who  was  born  into  mortality  of  the  Eternal 
Father.  As  I  have  already  stated,  you  and  I  are  all  sons  and  daughters 
of  God  in  the  spirit  world,  but  Christ's  mortal  birth,  being  actually 
the  Son  of  God,  gave  him  that  extra  power  of  godliness  needed  to 
be  the  Savior  of  the  world.  In  other  words,  being  the  Only  Begotten 
gave  him  power  to  be  the  one  to  break  the  bands  of  death.  Thus  he 
was  endowed  by  the  Father  with  power  within  himself  over  life  and 
death.  Also,  he  is  the  only  perfect  man  who  ever  lived,  showing  us 
the  way  whereby  you  and  I  might  become  perfect  if  we  will  follow 
his  example. 

After  living  thirty-three  years  of  that  type  of  perfect  life,  three 
years  of  which  were  devoted  to  intensive  missionary  work,  the  Man 
of  Galilee  was  crucified.  Three  days  later  he  rose  from  the  grave,  as 
the  prophets  had  foretold,  thereby  becoming  the  "first  fruits"  of  the 
resurrection.  He  broke  the  bands  of  death  and  not  only  made  it  pos- 
sible for  all  men  to  be  resurrected,  but  he  also  made  it  absolutely  nec- 
essary. No  matter  how  righteously  people  live  here  in  mortality  or  no 
matter  how  wickedly  they  live,  every  man,  woman,  and  child  is  prom- 
ised immortality,  i.e.,  resurrection.  They  must  come  forth  from  the 
grave  and  stand  before  the  seat  of  Jesus  Christ  to  be  judged  for  the 
actions  they  committted  while  they  lived  here  on  this  earth. 

Church  Organized 

As  Brother  Benson  very  beautifully  pointed  out  yesterday,  while 
Christ  was  here  living  among  mortals,  he  organized  a  church.  It  be- 
came a  great  church,  especially  in  numbers.  But,  as  Brother  Benson 
pointed  out,  as  time  passed  this  church  dropped  into  darkness.  Thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  pagans  joined  this  church,  and  they  brought 
into  it  their  pet  pagan  practices,  ideas,  and  doctrines,  which  were 
man-made  and  many  of  which  were  quite  crude.  Thus  they  mingled 
paganism  with  the  teachings  that  the  Savior  had  given,  thereby  adul- 
terating Christianity.  The  result  was  the  bringing  about  of  what 
is  known  as  the  great  apostasy.  Naturally  the  Savior  could  not  accept 
that  adulterated  church  as  his.  Thereupon  he  withdrew  his  Holy 
Priesthood,  leaving  the  world  to  grope  in  darkness  for  hundreds  and 
hundreds  of  years. 

Restoration  of  Gospel 

But  the  prophets  had  looked  down  through  the  stream  of  time 
and  had  predicted  that  in  the  latter  days  God  would  stretch  forth  his 
hand  again  to  restore  the  gospel  upon  the  earth;  the  gospel  dispensa- 
tion known  as  the  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times,  the  day 
when  all  the  ordinances,  principles  and  doctrines,  powers  and  priest- 
hoods that  had  been  in  the  world  from  the  beginning,  would  be  re- 
stored preparatory  to  the  coming  of  the  Lord. 


ELDER  MILTON  R.  HUNTER 


73 


I  bear  solemn  testimony,  as  have  others  here  today,  that  that 
restoration  took  place  approximately  a  hundred  years  ago.  It  began 
on  that  memorable  spring  morning  in  1820  when  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  went  into  the  Sacred  Grove  to  pray.  In  answer  to  that  prayer, 
God  the  Eternal  Father  and  his  Only  Begotten  Son  appeared  to  that 
boy-prophet  in  their  glory.  The  Father  pointed  to  the  Son  and  said, 
"This  is  My  Beloved  Son.  Hear  him!"  Thereupon  Jesus  Christ  again 
took  his  rightful  place  as  the  Mediator  between  the  Father  and  man- 
kind, as  the  Savior  of  this  world,  by  conversing  with  Joseph  Smith 
and  by  telling  him  that  the  true  Church  was  not  upon  the  earth  and 
that  if  he  lived  the  right  kind  of  life,  he  had  been  chosen  and  fore- 
ordained to  be  the  instrument  in  the  hands  of  God  through  which  that 
Church  would  be  established.  Christ  also  told  Joseph  that  the  minis- 
ters ("professors")  of  the  world  drew  near  to  God  with  their  lips 
but  their  hearts  were  far  from  him;  and  that  they  were  teaching  for 
doctrines  the  commandments  of  men. 


Further  Revelations 

After  this  glorious  vision  had  taken  place,  and  I  might  say  that 
it  was  one  of  the  most  glorious  manifestations  that  has  ever  happened 
here  upon  this  earth,  Jesus  of  Nazareth  continued  to  function  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  appointment  as  the  Savior  of  mankind  by  appearing 
to  the  Prophet  several  other  times  and  also  by  sending  great  angels 
— men  who  had  lived  upon  this  earth  in  the  past — to  give  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  all  the  keys  and  powers  and  authority  that  had 
been  enjoyed  in  other  dispensations.  Revelation  after  revelation  came 
to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  until  the  fulness  came,  as  had  been  pre- 
dicted. On  one  of  these  occasions  when  Joseph  Smith  had  the  privi- 
lege of  seeing  a  vision,  the  great  revelation  known  as  "The  Vision," 
or  "The  Degrees  of  Glory,"  Joseph  Smith  and  Sidney  Rigdon  looked 
into  the  three  degrees  of  glory  and  also  into  perdition  and  recorded 
some  of  the  things  that  are  there.  I  would  like  to  read  a  few  words 
from  Joseph's  testimony: 

And  while  we  meditated  upon  these  things,  the  Lord  touched  the 
eyes  of  our  understandings  and  they  were  opened,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  shone  round  about. 

And  we  beheld  the  glory  of  the  Son,  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Father, 
and  received  of  his  fulness; 

And  saw  the  holy  angels,  and  them  who  are  sanctified  before  his 
throne,  worshiping  God,  and  the  Lamb,  who  worship  him  forever  and 
ever. 

And  now,  after  the  many  testimonies  which  have  been  given  of  him, 
this  is  the  testimony,  last  of  all,  which  we  -give  of  him:  That  he  lives! 

For  we  saw  him,  even  on  the  right  hand  of  God;  and  we  heard  the 
voice  bearing  record  that  he  is  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father — 

That  by  him,  and  through  him,  and  of  him,  the  worlds  are  and  were 
created,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof  are  begotten  sons  and  daughters  unto 
God.  (D.  6  C.  76:19-24.) 


74 

S&tuzday.  October  1 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 


The  Second  Coming 

Latter-day  Saints  are  looking  forward  to  the  day,  as  predicted 
by  the  prophets,  when  Jesus  Christ  shall  come  upon  the  earth  to  reign 
as  the  Lord  of  lords  and  the  King  of  kings.  We  are  looking  forward 
to  the  day  when  this  earth  shall  be  cleansed  of  its  wickedness,  when 
righteousness  shall  prevail,  and  when  children  shall  be  born  in  right- 
eousness and  will  grow  up  without  sin.  At  that  time  they  shall  live, 
rear  their  children,  and  when  they  become  the  age  of  a  tree  pass  from 
mortality  into  immortality  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 

At  the  time  of  the  second  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  to  reign  upon  the 
earth  as  the  Lord  and  God  "the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the 
Lord"  will  take  place.  It  will  be  a  great  day  for  the  righteous  and  a 
dreadful  day  for  the  wicked.  The  prophets  predicted  that  at  that  day 
the  earth  "shall  burn  as  an  oven;  and  all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that 
do  wickedly,  shall  be  stubble;"  also,  "the  elements  shall  melt  with 
fervent  heat." 

We  as  members  of  the  true  Church  are  looking  forward  to  that 
great  day  when  Jesus  Christ  shall  come  to  his  own,  and  when  the  devil 
shall  be  bound  for  one  thousand  years  and  cease  to  have  power,  as 
was  explained  yesterday,  that  he  does  at  the  present  time,  over  the 
hearts  of  the  children  of  men.  At  the  close  of  that  one  thousand  years' 
time,  the  devil  will  be  loosed  for  a  short  season,  and  wickedness  will 
again  prevail  throughout  the  world.  Then  will  come  the  day  when 
Lucifer  and  all  his  evil  hosts  will  be  cast  off  this  earth.  They  shall  go 
into  perdition  and  dwell  as  lost  souls  forever. 

Sanctified  Earth 

At  that  day  the  earth  shall  be  sanctified.  It  shall  die,  so  the  Lord 
revealed  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  be  resurrected.  It  shall  be- 
come a  new  world.  It  shall  become  the  celestialized  orb  prepared  for 
the  members  of  "the  Church  of  the  Firstborn."  Jesus  Christ  will  judge 
all  inhabitants  of  this  earth.  Those  who  have  lived  worthy  lives  from 
Adam's  day  on  down  to  the  end  of  the  millennium  will  be  assigned 
to  dwell  upon  this  earth  forever,  to  dwell  as  celestialized  beings  with 
Jesus  Christ;  thus  they  will  be  assigned  to  their  celestial  glory.  All 
who  have  inhabited  this  earth  will  stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of 
Jesus  Christ  and  will  be  assigned  to  their  future  world  in  which  to 
live  forever.  Some  will  be  assigned  to  terrestrial  glory,  some  to  teles- 
tial  glory,  and  others  even  to  perdition.  Many  Latter-day  Saints  will 
not  attain  the  celestial  glory  because  they  did  not  abide  by  the  com- 
mandments of  God;  therefore,  they  will  be  very  unhappy  because  they 
did  not  gain  celestial  life  which  could  have  been  theirs. 

The  Father  will  say  to  his  Only  Begotten  Son,  "This  is  your 
world  because  of  the  great  work  that  you  did  in  being  its  Redeemer. 
You  shall  now  be  the  Lord,  you  shall  be  the  God,  you  shall  be  the 
king  of  this  world  forevermore.  This  is  your  kingdom."  Under  the 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY  75 


direction,  then,  of  the  Father  who  has  many  other  kingdoms,  Jesus 
Christ  will  preside  here  as  your  God  and  my  God  if  we  live  worthy 
of  celestial  glory. 

Members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  are 
heirs  to  this  great  kingdom  on  condition  that  we  obey  the  teachings 
of  the  gospel  as  revealed  to  earth  through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 
As  Brother  Romney  very  beautifully  pointed  out  yesterday,  today  is 
the  day  for  you  and  me  to  prepare  for  that  great  judgment  day  when 
this  earth  shall  become  the  celestialized  orb.  Then  if  we  are  found 
worthy,  we  will  hear  the  voice  of  Jesus  Christ  say  to  us  to  enter  into 
our  exaltation  and  dwell  with  him  forever  here  upon  this  earth. 

May  you  and  I  live  clean  and  pure,  be  prayerful,  be  humble,  live 
according  to  every  word  that  has  come  from  the  mouth  of  God  in 
order  that  this  might  be  our  happy  lot,  I  humbly  pray,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 

Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

The  congregation  now  filling  this  historic  building  beyond  its 
seating  capacity  will  join  in  singing,  "Zion  Stands  With  Hills  Sur- 
rounded." 

The  congregation  sang  the  hymn,  "Zion  Stands  With  Hills  Sur- 
rounded." 

ELDER  BRUCE  R.  McCONKIE 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

If  the  Holy  Ghost  will  give  me  utterance,  I  should  like  to  say 
some  things  to  you  about  how  I  think  the  message  of  the  restoration 
can  be  carried  to  the  world  with  power  and  effect. 

Message  of  the  Restoration 

This  message  is,  first,  foremost,  and  above  all  other  things:  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  son  of  the  Living  God;  that  he  is  the  Savior  of  the 
world  and  the  Redeemer  of  men;  that  salvation  was  and  is  and  is  to 
come,  in  and  through  his  name  only.  We  believe  that  he  came  into 
the  world  to  do  the  will  of  his  Father  and  work  out  the  infinite  and 
eternal  atonement,  and  that  by  virtue  of  this  atonement  all  men  who 
believe  and  obey  the  gospel  laws  will  be  raised  in  immortality  unto 
eternal  life.  It  is  only  by  obedience  to  his  laws  and  his  ordinances  that 
we  may  gain  the  celestial  kingdom. 

This  message  is,  secondly,  that  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  is  the  chosen 
prophet  through  whom  the  fulness  of  the  everlasting  gospel  has  been 
restored  in  this  dispensation.  He  was  chosen  by  Christ  to  be  the  re- 


76  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  1 


Second  Day 


storer  and  revealer  of  all  things  necessary  for  the  salvation  and  exal- 
tation of  man;  he  gave  again  on  earth  every  law,  every  principle,  and 
every  doctrine  by  conformity  to  which  we  may  gain  the  kingdom  of 
God. 

This  message  is,  thirdly,  that  this  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  is,  at  this  moment,  the  only  true  and  living  Church 
upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth.  It  is  the  only  place  where  the  plan 
of  life  and  salvation  is  found.  There  is  no  other  path  and  no  other 
way  whereby  men  can  strive  and  gain  the  peace  and  happiness  that 
is  available  for  those  who  live  right  in  this  life,  and  the  eternal  life 
that  God  has  promised  the  Saints  in  the  world  to  come. 

Guidance  of  Holy  Ghost 

Now  we  want  to  carry  this  message  to  the  world  in  the  way  that 
the  Lord  wants  us  to  carry  it.  We  want  to  preach  the  truth  in  purity 
and  in  perfection,  and  to  do  it  in  the  way  the  Lord  wants  it  done.  The 
only  single  formula  whereby  we  may  do  this  is  for  us  so  to  live  (and 
our  elders  in  the  mission  fields  so  to  live)  that  we  can  be  guided  by 
the  Holy  Ghost.  We  must  be  guided  by  the  Spirit.  We  have  to  have 
the  Lord  tell  us  how  he  wants  us  to  teach  the  message  of  the  restora- 
tion, and  every  doctrine  of  the  gospel,  and  he  will  do  this  by  revela- 
tion from  the  Holy  Ghost  if  we  are  worthy  to  receive  it. 

One  of  the  chief  differences  between  us  and  the  churches  which 
are  built  up,  and  not  unto  the  Lord,  is  that  the  Holy  Ghost  gives  us 
utterance  if  we  are  faithful,  but  that  the  people  in  the  world  teach 
with  their  learning,  and  deny  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  giveth  utterance. 

The  Holy  Ghost  revealed  to  Nephi  about  latter-day  church  con- 
ditions. Speaking  of  this  very  day  Nephi  foretold  that  many  would 
teach  "false  and  vain  and  foolish  doctrines."  He  said  that 

Because  of  pride,  and  because  of  false  teachers,  and  false  doctrine, 
their  churches  have  become  corrupted,  .  .  .  they  have  all  gone  astray 
save  it  be  a  few,  who  are  the  humble  followers  of  Christ;  nevertheless, 
they  are  led,  that  in  many  instances  they  do  err  because  they  are  taught 
by  the  precepts  of  men.  (2  Nephi  28:12,  14.) 

Sound  Doctrine 

We  have  no  interest  in  teaching  by  the  wisdom  or  learning  or 
according  to  the  precepts  of  men.  We  want  to  teach  the  gospel  the 
way  the  Lord  would  have  us  teach  it,  and  to  do  it  under  the  power 
and  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  If  we  will  do  that,  we  will  teach 
sound  doctrine.  It  will  be  the  truth.  It  will  build  faith  and  increase 
righteousness  in  the  hearts  of  men,  and  they  will  be  led  along  that 
path  which  leads  to  the  celestial  world. 

But  if  we  teach  without  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  if  we  are  not  guided 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  we  will  be  teaching  at  our  peril.  It  is  a  serious 
thing  to  teach  false  doctrine,  to  teach  that  which  is  not  true,  to  teach 
that  which  does  not  build  faith  in  the  hearts  of  men. 


ELDER  BRUCE  R.  McCONKIE 


77 


In  that  same  sermon  on  latter-day  church  conditions,  Nephi  said, 
the  Holy  Ghost,  giving  him  utterance, 

.  .  .  and  all  those  who  preach  false  doctrines,  .  .  .  wo,  wo,  wo  be 
unto  them,  saith  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  for  they  shall  be  thrust  down 
to  hell!  (2  Nephi  28:15.) 

There  is  no  hope  and  no  salvation  and  no  blessing  in  carrying 
any  message  to  the  world  by  the  power  of  man.  The  philosophies  of 
the  world  and  the  wisdom  of  the  wise  shall  perish.  We  cannot  touch 
the  hearts  of  men,  but  the  Lord  can,  and  he  will  touch  them  through 
our  ministry  if  we  have  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  in  our  hearts.  We  will 
get  that  Spirit  if  we  are  righteous  in  our  living  and  in  the  things  we  do. 

And  so  it  is  that  the  Lord  said  by  revelation  to  the  whole  Church 
through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  that 

.  .  .  the  Spirit  shall  be  given  unto  you  by  the  prayer  of  faith;  and  if 
ye  receive  not  the  Spirit  ye  shall  not  teach.  (D.  &  C.  42:14.) 

And  so  it  is  that  he  has  sent  his  elders  out  in  this  day  command- 
ing that  they  take  no  thought  beforehand  what  they  should  say  but 
instructing  that  they  should  treasure  up  in  their  minds  continually 
the  words  of  life.  Theirs  is  then  the  promise  that  it  shall  be  given  them 
in  the  very  hour  that  portion  which  should  be  meted  to  every  man. 

If  we  can  have  the  Holy  Ghost  as  our  guide,  we  shall  be  able  to 
touch  the  hearts  of  righteous  men;  we  shall  do  the  things  that  the 
Lord  wants  us  to  do;  and  this  course  will  give  us  peace  here  and  eternal 
reward  hereafter. 

Head  of  this  Dispensation 

Now,  associated  with  this  principle,  this  only  perfect  plan  and 
formula  for  carrying  our  message  to  the  world,  is  another.  The  Lord 
said  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith: 

.  .  .  this  generation  shall  have  my  word  through  you.  (D.  &  C.  5:10.) 

Now,  I  take  it  that  we  are  not  obligated  to  teach  the  message  of 
salvation  the  way  it  was  revealed  to  Peter,  James,  and  John,  to  Moses, 
or  Adam,  or  any  of  the  ancient  prophets,  but  that  the  Lord  wants  us 
to  carry  this  message  the  way  it  was  given  through  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith.  It  is  the  same  message  of  salvation  now  as  it  was  then.  The  gos- 
pel never  changes.  All  men  who  ever  gain  salvation  will  win  it  by 
obedience  to  the  same  eternal  laws.  But  in  each  age  it  has  to  be  ac- 
cepted from  the  oracles  whom  the  Lord  sends  for  that  age  and  time. 

Joseph  Smith  was  given  the  keys  of  salvation  as  pertaining  to 
all  men  who  live  in  the  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times.  That 
means  that  he  stands  at  the  head  of  this  dispensation.  It  means  that 
under  Adam,  the  great  high  priest  who  stands  at  the  head  of  all  dis- 
pensations, and  under  Christ  who  is  the  Savior  of  the  world,  he  directs 
all  the  affairs  of  God  in  the  world  as  pertaining  to  this  dispensation. 


78  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  1  Second  Day 

When  we  link  the  name  of  Joseph  Smith  with  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  testimonies  we  bear,  we  are  doing  that  which  is  pleasing 
to  the  Lord.  If  we  had  lived  in  ancient  Israel  and  had  attended  the 
testimony  meetings  that  they  held,  we  would  have  linked  the  name 
of  Moses  with  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  because  he  headed  that  dis- 
pensation. And  if  we  had  lived  in  Enoch's  day  or  Abraham's  or  Ad- 
am's, we  would  have  testified  of  Christ  and  the  man  who  stood  at  the 
head  of  that  particular  dispensation. 

Modern  Scriptures 

But  to  us  the  word  of  the  Lord  is  sent  forth  through  Joseph  Smith. 
It  has  been  given  through  him  in  the  manner  and  form,  to  the  degree, 
and  in  the  plainness  that  is  adapted  to  the  capacity  and  abilities  of 
people  who  now  live  in  the  world.  Some  of  the  ancient  scriptures  are 
not  so  plain  and  intelligible  to  us  as  the  modern.  They  were  written 
for  people  who  had  the  social  conditions,  the  philosophies,  and  the 
backgrounds  that  existed  generations  and  milleniums  ago.  What  we 
have,  as  it  has  come  through  Joseph  Smith,  is  adapted  to  our  intelli- 
gence and  our  capacity.  If  we  shall  study  it  in  preference  to  anything 
else,  we  shall  have  more  light,  more  truth,  and  more  understanding 
of  the  mind  and  will  of  the  Lord,  and  the  things  that  we  have  to  do 
in  order  to  be  saved  in  his  kingdom,  than  we  could  gain  from  any 
other  source. 

This  does  not  mean  that  we  do  not  accept  the  Bible.  We  do  with 
all  our  hearts,  and  we  do  not  try  to  spiritualize  away  its'  teachings. 
We  believe  it  to  be  the  word  of  God  as  far  as  it  is  translated  correctly. 
We  believe  all  that  God  has  revealed,  and  every  revelation  given  to 
Joseph  Smith  is  in  strictest  harmony  with  every  revelation  given 
through  any  prophet  in  any  age.  Truth  is  always  the  same;  revela- 
tions never  contradict  each  other.  But  there  is  no  salvation  in  reading 
the  Bible  and  stopping  there.  People  must  find  a  living  oracle,  a  legal 
administrator,  someone  who  can  bind  on  earth  and  seal  in  heaven, 
someone  whose  teachings  and  performances  will  be  recognized  by 
the  Lord.  And  that  is  where  Joseph  Smith  and  the  present  living 
oracles  come  in. 

The  Book  of  Mormon 

So  that  we  may  carry  the  message  of  salvation  to  the  world  in  this 
generation  through  Joseph  Smith,  we  have  had  certain  tools  given  us. 
The  chief  of  these  is  the  Book  of  Mormon.  That  book  is  a  witness  for 
Jesus  Christ.  Such  is  its  chief  purpose.  It  testifies  of  him,  and  it  teaches 
the  doctrines  of  his  gospel  in  plainness  and  purity,  and  let  it  not  be 
forgotten  that  our  chief  mission  is  to  bear  testimony  of  Christ  and 
teach  the  doctrines  of  his  gospel. 

Next,  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  a  witness  that  Joseph  Smith  is  a 
prophet  of  God,  that  he  restored  the  fulness  of  the  gospel  and  was 
everything  we  claim  him  to  have  been.  No  man  could  have  written  the 


ELDER  BRUCE  R.  McCONKIE  79 


Book  of  Mormon,  and  any  person  who  will  study  it  with  a  sincere 
heart,  with  real  intent,  having  faith  in  Christ,  following  Moroni's 
counsel,  will  get  the  witness  in  his  heart  that  Joseph  Smith  obtained 
that  book  from  the  plates  in  exactly  the  manner  in  which  he  said  he 
got  it. 

So,  by  using  the  Book  of  Mormon  to  carry  our  message  to  the 
world,  we  carry  forth  the  testimony  of  Christ  and  of  Joseph  Smith. 
If  those  to  whom  we  preach  have  righteousness  in  their  hearts,  they 
soon  receive  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  the  knowledge  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God;  they  soon  get  by 
revelation  from  the  Holy  Ghost  the  knowledge  that  Joseph  Smith  is 
his  prophet  and  the  head  of  his  work  for  this  age  and  dispensation. 

Then,  because  the  Lord  giveth  not  his  Spirit  by  portions,  and 
because  they  have  tasted  of  the  power  and  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  in  these  two  particulars,  they  will  get,  also  by  revelation  from 
the  same  source,  the  knowledge  that  this  Church,  this  kingdom,  is 
the  only  true  and  living  Church  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth. 

These  three  things  are  the  very  ones  we  want  to  get  all  the  right- 
eous everywhere  to  accept,  and  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  the  means 
whereby  we  may  accomplish  it. 

Most  Correct  of  Any  Book 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  said  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  was 
the  most  correct  of  any  book  on  earth  and  the  keystone  of  our  religion, 
and  that  a  man  would  get  nearer  to  God  by  abiding  its  precepts  than 
by  any  other  book. 

Why,  that  is  the  very  thing  we  want  the  world  to  do.  We  want 
the  people  who  hear  the  message  that  we  bear  to  get  so  near  to  the 
Lord  that  in  contrition  and  humility  they  will  repent  of  their  sins, 
come  in  at  the  gate  of  baptism,  and  grow  in  faith  and  in  righteousness 
until  they  become  the  sons  of  God,  heirs  to  his  eternal  kingdom. 

As  far  as  the  Latter-day  Saints  are  concerned,  if  they  would 
read  and  study  that  book,  with  the  same  real  intent,  purpose,  and 
faith  in  Christ  of  which  Moroni  spoke,  they  would  discover  that  faith 
would  grow  in  their  hearts.  They  would  get  a  knowledge  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  salvation.  They  would  have  desires  of  righteousness  spring 
up  in  their  souls.  Soon  they  would  not  have  any  inclination  or  any 
desire  or  any  aim  except  to  be  in  harmony  with  all  of  their  brethren, 
with  their  bishops  and  stake  presidents,  and  with  every  righteous  per- 
son in  the  kingdom. 

If  you  get  the  spirit  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  you  cannot  be  out 
of  harmony  with  the  Lord's  work  and  with  his  mind  and  will  in  this 
day. 

Testimony 

With  these  brethren  who  have  testified,  I  have  in  my  heart  a 
knowledge  and  an  assurance  that  is  real  and  positive  and  certain  that 


80  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  1 


Second  Day 


this  work  is  true.  I  know  just  as  well  as  I  know  anything  in  this  world 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  and  that  Joseph  Smith  is  his  chief- 
est  prophet  and  his  chiefest  witness  for  this  dispensation. 

At  that  strait  gate  where  men  must  enter  if  they  attain  the  celes- 
tial world,  there  stands  a  keeper  of  the  gate  who  is  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel.  He  employeth  no  servant  there. 

.  .  .  and  there  is  none  other  way  save  it  be  by  the  gate;  for  he  cannot 
be  deceived,  for  the  Lord  God  is  his  name.  (2  Nephi  9:41.) 

But  those  who  receive  the  servants  of  the  Lord  receive  him,  and 
he  in  turn  receives  them  because  they  received  his  servants.  And  as 
pertaining  to  people  who  lived  in  this  dispensation,  when  the  judg- 
ment is  set  and  the  books  are  opened,  they  will  find  that  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  will  be  seated  on  the  right  hand  of  Christ,  and  it  will 
be  with  his  approval  and  his  approbation  and  his  counsel  and  his  con- 
sent that  all  men  from  his  dispensation  who  attain  salvation  will  be 
permitted  to  inherit  it. 

I  glory  in  the  testimony  that  I  have.  I  know  that  this  work  is  true 
and  that  this  is  the  Lord's  Church.  I  pray  that  the  work  may  roll  forth 
and  that  the  Lord's  purposes  may  prevail  in  the  earth,  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  MARK  E.  PETERSEN 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

I  am  very  grateful,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  for  the  stimulation  I 
have  received  in  this  conference.  I  am  grateful  for  the  privilege  of 
going  to  the  stake  conferences  and  for  the  good  that  I  receive  from 
them.  I  think  it  is  wonderful  to  feel  the  strength  of  the  Saints  in  the 
different  parts  of  the  Church,  and  as  I  go  about  among  the  people  and 
feel  their  strength  and  faith  and  note  their  devotion,  I  am  very  grate- 
ful indeed  that  this  is  truly  a  great  Church.  It  is  a  strong  Church,  and 
the  people  who  belong  to  it  are  a  strong  people.  I  am  very  grateful  for 
this  knowledge. 

Difficulties  Encountered 

At  times  we  meet  people  who  find  it  difficult  to  live  our  religion. 
Sometimes  they  say  it  is  hard  to  live  some  of  the  principles  of  the  gos- 
pel. Occasionally  people  say  they  find  it  hard  to  live  the  law  of  tithing, 
or  the  Word  of  Wisdom.  I  know  that  some  do  find  it  difficult,  but  I 
know  also  that  if  they  would  apply  themselves  and  really  convert 
themselves  to  these  great  principles,  they  would  be  able  to  live  them 
and  enjoy  doing  so. 

As  I  have  observed  some  of  the  people  in  the  Church,  I  believe 
that  one  of  the  principles  they  find  most  difficult  to  live  is  the  principle 
set  forth  in  one  of  the  Articles  of  Faith,  the  sixth  one, 


ELDER  MARK  E.  PETERSEN 


81 


We  believe  in  the  same  organization  that  existed  in  the  Primitive 
Church,  namely,  apostles,  prophets,  pastors,  teachers,  evangelists,  etc. 

I  suppose  some  of  you  will  think  it  strange  that  I  say  that,  but 
I  really  believe  that  there  are  a  number  of  people  among  us  who  find 
the  principle  represented  in  that  Article  of  Faith  to  be  the  most  diffi- 
cult they  have  to  live. 

Faith  in  God 

Our  first  Article  of  Faith,  which  has  been  referred  to  here,  says 
that  we  believe  in  God  the  Eternal  Father  and  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ 
and  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  Without  faith  in  God  we  wouldn't  even  have 
any  religion,  because  faith  in  God  is  fundamental  to  our  religion.  But 
such  faith  is  no  more  fundamental  than  it  is  to  believe  that  God  can 
and  will  reveal  himself  to  mankind.  It  is  just  as  fundamental  to  believe 
that  God  can  reveal  himself  to  mankind  as  it  is  to  believe  that  there 
is  a  God. 

All  down  through  the  ages  the  Lord  has  revealed  himself  to  men. 
Then,  we  must  believe  in  revelation.  But  to  whom  does  God  reveal 
himself?  An  ancient  prophet  said  the  Lord  will  do  nothing  but  he 
revealeth  his  secrets  to  his  servants  the  prophets.  Then  we  must  have 
prophets  among  us.  We  had  them  anciently,  from  the  days  of  Adam 
on  down  to  the  days  of  Malachi  to  whom  God  revealed  himself  in 
harmony  with  this  great  principle  which  is  such  an  important  part  of 
our  restored  religion. 

Ancient  Apostles  and  Prophets 

What  about  prophets  in  Christian  times?  When  the  Church  was 
established  on  the  earth  in  the  days  of  the  Savior,  it  was  founded  with 
apostles  and  prophets  at  the  head.  And  why  were  they  put  in  the 
Church?  Paul  explains,  as  has  been  mentioned  once  before,  that  they 
were  put  in  the  Church  for  the  perfecting  of  the  Saints,  for  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ.  They  were  to 
remain  in  the  Church  until  we  all  come  to  a  unity  of  the  faith,  unto  a 
perfect  man,  unto  the  fulness  of  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  Christ. 

Throughout  the  ancient  times  there  was  always  a  tendency  to 
profess  belief  in  God  but  to  reject  the  teachings  of  the  prophets.  Jesus 
met  that  situation  when  he  was  upon  the  earth,  and  among  the  other 
things,  he  made  a  great  appeal  to  overcome  it.  He  said,  ".  .  .  ye  be- 
lieve in  God,  believe  also  in  me."  (John  14:1.)  The  great  tragedy  of 
ancient  Israel  was  that  the  people  of  those  days  were  willing  to  pro- 
fess belief  in  God,  but  would  not  follow  the  teachings  of  the  prophets 
of  God. 

What  did  the  Lord  reveal  to  his  people  through  the  prophets  all 
down  through  the  ages?  He  revealed  to  the  prophets,  and  through 
them  to  the  people,  the  things  which  he  expected  the  people  to  do, 
and  these  expectations  of  the  Lord,  as  revealed  to  the  people  through 


82  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  1 


Second  Day 


the  prophets,  formed  the  program  which  our  Father  in  heaven  desired 
his  people  on  earth  to  follow  for  their  salvation.  In  other  words,  these 
revelations  and  these  directions  given  to  the  people  through  the  proph- 
ets formed  the  program  of  the  Church  in  ancient  times. 

Apostles  and  Prophets  Today 

We  today  are  no  different  from  the  people  who  lived  in  the  days 
of  the  Savior  and  the  ancient  apostles,  because  our  Church  today  also 
is  founded  with  apostles  and  prophets  at  the  head,  and  the  teachings 
of  these  apostles  and  prophets  form  the  program  of  the  Church.  This 
program  is  varied.  It  has  many  projects  and  many  enterprises.  It  in- 
cludes many  commandments  and  many  ordinances.  But  they  are  all 
a  part  of  the  program  of  the  Church.  We  cannot  distinguish  between 
them  and  say  that  these  we  will  accept  and  these  others  we  will  not 
accept.  We  cannot  make  fish  of  one  and  fowl  of  the  other.  The  hand 
cannot  say  to  the  foot,  "I  have  no  need  of  thee." 

The  Sunday  School  could  not  say  to  the  Relief  Society,  "You  are 
not  necessary."  Not  one  of  us  can  consistently  say  that  we  will  sus- 
tain the  priesthood  program,  but  we  will  reject  the  welfare  program. 
We  could  not  say  that  we  will  accept  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  program, 
for  instance,  and  that  we  will  reject  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  pro- 
gram. We  could  not  say  that  we  would  accept  and  sustain  the  auxili- 
aries of  the  Church,  and,  for  instance,  refuse  to  sustain  the  Church 
publications  which  help  to  give  bone  and  fibre  and  sinew  to  these 
organizations. 

Consistent  Support  of  Program 

Are  we  in  a  position  of  consistency  if  we  try  to  choose  one  part 
of  the  program  of  the  Church  and  turn  our  backs  upon  the  others? 
Every  phase  of  the  program  is  worthy  of  our  support,  whether  it  be 
priesthood  or  Church  welfare,  whether  it  be  the  Church  publications 
or  whether  it  be  the  auxiliary  organizations,  or  any  of  the  command- 
ments in  the  gospel. 

The  program  of  the  Church  is  inaugurated  and  sponsored  by  the 
heads  of  the  Church.  And  who  are  the  heads  of  the  Church?  They 
are  the  prophets  of  God.  And  why  are  they  in  the  Church?  For  the 
perfecting  of  the  Saints,  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edifying 
of  the  body  of  Christ. 

We  are  the  Saints.  Our  Church  makes  up  the  body  of  Christ. 
We  need  the  edification  and  the  perfection  that  come  to  us  through 
participating  in  the  program  of  the  Church.  We  have  the  prophets  of 
God  who  give  us  the  program  of  the  Church.  Let  us  follow  that  pro- 
gram so  that  we  may  get  the  blessings  God  proffers  to  us. 

Instead  of  going  off  on  a  tangent  this  way  or  a  tangent  some 
other  way,  let  us  be  willing  to  follow  the  prophets  of  God  who  stand 
here  at  the  head  of  the  Church  and  who  receive  the  divine  guidance 


ELDER  EVON  W.  HUNTSMAN 


83 


of  the  Almighty.  Let  us  have  enough  faith  and  enough  courage  to  be 
real  Latter-day  Saints.  Let  us  have  enough  courage  and  enough  faith 
to  believe  in  the  Articles  of  Faith.  I  challenge  every  Latter-day  Saint 
everywhere  to  believe  and  accept  and  sustain  the  sixth  Article  of  Faith 
which  I  read  again: 

We  believe  in  the  same  organization  that  existed  in  the  Primitive 
Church,  namely,  apostles,  prophets,  pastors,  teachers,  evangelists,  etc. 

I  pray  that  we  may  have  this  courage,  that  we  may  have  the 
unity  and  the  harmony  as  a  people  to  support  and  sustain  the  prophet 
of  God  by  sustaining  the  program  in  all  its  projects  and  enterprises 
as  he  gives  it  to  us,  and  this  I  do  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  EVON  W.  HUNTSMAN 

Former  President  of  the  Tongan  Mission 

1  think  I  now  realize,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  what  Bishop 
Isaacson  meant  when  he  said  at  our  last  conference  that  only  those 
who  hear  their  names  called  out  in  this  great  audience  know  the  shock 
that  one  receives.  I  have  felt  that  shock  and  it  has  not  left  me. 

As  I  stand  here  in  this  holy  spot  and  look  over  this  great  audience, 
I  feel  very  humble  indeed.  All  my  life  I  have  looked  upon  this  spot 
as  the  most  sacred  spot  in  all  the  world,  because  I  do  not  think  there 
is  another  place  in  all  the  world  where  so  many  of  God's  anointed 
have  stood  before  so  many  of  his  children  and  taught  them  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ.  With  this  thought  in  mind,  I  am  very  humble  at  this 
time  in  reporting  my  mission  to  the  Tongan  Islands. 

Sister  Huntsman  and  I  will  always  be  grateful  to  our  Heavenly 
Father  and  to  the  brethren  who  preside  over  his  Church,  for  the  con- 
fidence and  trust  they  placed  in  us  in  permitting  us  to  go  into  the  far- 
away land  of  Tonga  to  take  charge  of  our  Heavenly  Father's  work 
in  that  mission. 

I  am  grateful  that  I  had  the  opportunity  to  return  to  that  land, 
where  I  spent  my  first  mission,  and  again  take  up  my  labors  with 
those  fine  Tongan  people  who  are  members  of  God's  chosen  race. 
Only  those  who  have  had  the  opportunity  of  laboring  with  the  Poly- 
nesian race  know  the  love  and  the  confidence  and  the  faith  those 
wonderful  people  have. 

The  work  of  our  Heavenly  Father  in  the  Tongan  Mission  is  alive 
and  growing,  and  they  are  enjoying  the  Spirit  of  our  Heavenly  Father 
in  that  mission.  I  know  that  at  times  when  we  speak  of  the  people  of 
the  Islands  of  the  Pacific,  we  sometimes  think  of  them  as  cannibals, 
head  hunters,  people  going  around  through  the  bush  naked,  but  that 
is  not  the  case.  The  Tongan  Mission  is  one  of  the  isolated  missions 
of  the  Church.  It  is  far  away  from  the  so-called  civilization  of  the 
world,  but  under  that  condition  the  membership  in  the  Tongan  Mis- 
sion has  grown  to  some  twenty-seven  hundred  members  of  the  Church, 


84  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday ,  October  1 


Second  Day 


who  are  very  faithful  in  performing  their  duties  and  preaching  the 
gospel. 

Our  mode  of  living  changes  when  we  go  into  the  far-away  lands 
of  the  islands  of  the  sea.  We  have  a  new  life  to  live  and  a  new  lan- 
guage to  learn,  we  have  new  living  conditions,  we  have  new  food,  we 
have  new  methods  of  transportation.  Everything  is  new,  but  Sister 
Huntsman  and  I  enjoyed  very  much  our  labors  among  the  Tongan 
race. 

One  of  our  great  difficulties  in  the  Tongan  Mission  is  transporta- 
tion, as  we  have  to  go  from  island  to  island  on  the  small  boats  which 
are  provided  in  those  islands,  either  a  small  sailing  vessel  or  a  motor 
launch.  I,  myself,  not  being  a  good  sailor,  did  not  enjoy  too  much 
some  of  the  trips  we  had  to  take,  from  island  to  island,  to  visit  our 
branches  and  our  districts,  but  we  were  always  well  paid  when  we 
arrived  at  our  destination  and  found  how  happy  our  native  saints 
were  to  meet  us  and  greet  us,  as  we  came  to  their  shores. 

I  did  receive  a  lot  of  consolation  from  a  blessing  that  1  received 
from  President  Smith  when  he  set  us  apart  to  our  mission.  He  said: 
"Brother  Huntsman,  I  promise  you  that  you  will  never  become  any 
more  seasick  than  is  necessary." 

I  took  that  blessing  out,  or  a  copy  of  it,  every  time  I  went  from 
one  island  to  another  and  I  read  that  blessing.  I  took  a  lot  of  con- 
solation from  it. 

Two  great  contributions  or  blessings  came  to  the  Tongan  Mis- 
sion while  we  were  there.  One  of  them,  of  course,  is  our  mission 
school.  Our  greatest  missionary  in  the  Tongan  Mission  is  our  mission 
school,  and  when  I  arrived  in  the  mission  field  our  old  mission  school 
was  rather  out-dated.  It  was  built  many,  many  years  ago  for  a  small 
group  of  students.  We  were  in  a  crowded  condition.  The  govern- 
ment knew  that  we  were.  The  Commissioner  of  Education  had  con- 
demned our  school,  put  it  at  the  bottom  of  the  list,  and  I  did  not  blame 
him  very  much,  my  brethren  and  sisters.  I  do  not  want  to  say  any- 
thing about  the  fine  work  that  was  accomplished  at  our  own  college, 
but  the  school  was  not  a  credit  to  the  Church. 

I  reported  this  to  the  First  Presidency.  They  instructed  me  to 
purchase  a  new  plantation  on  which  they  would  build  a  school.  And 
they  have  made  sufficient  appropriations  now  to  erect  one  of  the  finest 
schools  in  the  South  Sea  Islands.  Much  of  the  material  had  arrived 
before  we  left,  and  this  school  is  now  under  construction,  and,  when 
completed,  will  be  a  credit  to  the  Church,  and  will  be  the  means  of 
breaking  down  a  lot  of  the  opposition  that  we  have  to  meet  in  that 
mission. 

That  is  a  fine  contribution  and  the  saints  of  the  Tongan  Mission 
appreciate  very  much  this  wonderful  gift  from  the  First  Presidency 
and  the  brethren  who  preside  in  the  Church. 

Another  great  contribution  was  when  the  brethren  saw  fit  to 
send  Brother  Matthew  Cowley,  President  Cowley,  as  the  mission 
president  of  the  South  Pacific  Mission. 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY  85 


In  1921  President  McKay  visited  the  Tongan  Mission,  I  think 
it  was  1921  or  1922,  and  in  1938,  President  Smith  visited  the  mission. 
These  are  the  only  two  of  the  General  Authorities  of  the  Church  who 
had  visited  the  Tongan  Mission  until  1947,  when  President  Cowley 
came  to  visit  our  mission. 

In  1948  he  came  the  second  time  to  visit  our  mission,  at  that  time 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  who,  I  understand,  is  the  first  one  of  the 
General  Authorities'  wives  to  have  crossed  the  equator,  and  I  know 
she  is  the  first  one  of  the  General  Authorities'  wives  to  visit  the 
Tongan  Mission.  No  one,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  will  know  the 
love  and  the  confidence  and  the  respect  that  Brother  and  Sister 
Cowley  have  for  the  Polynesian  race  until  you  see  them  down  there 
among  those  people,  blessing  them  and  teaching  them  the  gospl,  and 
visiting  among  them. 

We  appreciate,  and  the  saints  of  the  Tongan  Mission  appreciate 
very  much  the  opportunity  they  now  have  of  at  least  having  a  visit 
from  one  of  the  General  Authorities  once  a  year.  It  is  a  great  blessing 
to  them. 

Brother  Cowley  comes  to  our  mission  and  with  his  splendid 
knowledge  of  the  Maori  language — he  has  picked  up  a  little  Samoan, 
a  little  Tongan,  a  little  Tahitian,  and  he  comes  there  with  a  language 
all  of  his  own  now,  and  he  can  preach  the  gospel  to  our  people.  I 
do  not  know  what  it  will  be  when  he  adds  to  that  some  of  the  Japanese 
and  some  of  the  Chinese  that  he  is  able  to  gather  here  and  them 

My  brothers  and  sisters,  I  bear  my  testimony  that  I  know  the 
gospel  is  true.  I  have  heard  the  name  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Stmith 
mentioned  for  good  and  evil  in  that  part  of  the  world,  on  my  first 
mission  and  on  my  second  mission.  I  know  that  these  brethren  who 
preside  over  the  Lord's  Church  are  men  who  have  been  ordained  to 
preside  over  his  Church.  I  bear  you  my  testimony.  I  feel  as  Presi- 
dent George  F.  Richards  once  said,  I  believe  many  years  ago  from 
this  stand,  that  we  are  a  well-taught  people  insomuch  so  that  if  we 
would  only  do  as  wrell  as  we  know  how,  our  salvation  and  our  exalta- 
tion would  be  secure. 

May  we  so  live  and  conduct  our  lives,  my  brethren  and  sisters, 
that  our  exaltation  will  be  secure,  I  humbly  pray,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 

Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

After  singing  and  benediction  this  conference  will  stand  ad- 
journed until  2  o'clock  this  afternoon. 

The  proceedings  of  the  afternoon  session  will  be  broadcast  over 
KSL  and  by  arrangement  through  KSL  over  the  other  stations  to 
which  you  are  now  listening.  The  proceedings  will  be  televised  over 
the  KSL  television  station,  channel  5. 


86  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.   October  1 


Second  Day 


The  messages  that  have  been  sent  in  for  announcement  will  be 
given  at  the  dismissal  of  this  meeting  over  the  loud-speaking  system 
on  the  grounds. 

The  singing  of  this  session  of  the  conference  has  been  by  the 
congregation,  Elder  Richard  P.  Condie  conducting  and  Elder  Roy  M. 
Darley  at  the  organ. 

The  congregation  will  now  join  in  singing,  "Redeemer  of  Israel." 

The  closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Frank  H.  Brown 
of  the  Big  Horn  Stake. 


Singing,  "Redeemer  of  Israel." 

Benediction  by  President  Frank  H.  Brown  of  Big  Horn  Stake. 

SECOND  DAY 
AFTERNOON  MEETING 

The  fourth  session  of  the  Conference  convened  at  2:00  p.m.  Sat- 
urday, October  1. 

President  George  Albert  Smith  was  present  and  presided.  At 
the  President's  request,  President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.,  First  Counsel- 
or in  the  First  Presidency,  conducted  the  services. 

The  choir  singing  for  this  session  was  by  members  of  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir,  J.  Spencer  Cornwall  conducting,  Alexander  Schreiner  at 
the  organ. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.: 

This  is  the  fourth  session  of  the  120th  semi-annual  conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  convened 
in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

Of  the  General  Authorities  all  are  present  except  Elder  Alma 
Sonne  of  the  Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  who  is  in  Europe  presiding 
over  the  European  Mission;  Elder  Thomas  E.  McKay,  also  of  the 
Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  who  is  at  home  convalescing  by  direction 
of  his  physicians;  and  President  S.  Dilworth  Young  of  the  First 
Council  of  Seventy,  who  is  presiding  over  the  New  England  Mis- 
sion. 

President  Smith  is  presiding  and  has  requested  the  speaker, 
President  Clark,  to  conduct  the  services. 

These  services  will  be  broadcast  in  the  Assembly  Hall  over 
a  loud-speaking  system  and  by  television.  The  proceedings  of  this 
session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  by  ar- 
rangement through  KSL  over  the  following  stations:  KEYY  at 
Pocatello,  KVNU  at  Logan,  KSUB  at  Cedar  City,  KSVC  at  Rich- 
field, KJM  at  Vernal,  KID  at  Idaho  Falls,  and  KGEM  at  Boise,  also 
over  KTYL  at  Mesa  by  delayed  transcription. 


ELDER  JOSEPH  FIELDING  SMITH  87 


The  services  will  also  be  televised  over  the  KSL  television  sta- 
tion, channel  5. 

The  choir  singing  for  this  session  will  be  furnished  by  members 
of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  who  are  able  to  be  here  this  afternoon, 
Elder  J.  Spencer  Cornwall  conducting  and  Elder  Alexander  Schreiner 
at  the  organ. 

We  will  begin  the  services  by  the  choir  singing,  "God  So  Loved 
the  World." 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  A.  Leland 
Elmer  of  the  Panguitch  Stake. 

Singing  by  the  choir,  "God  So  Loved  the  World." 
Prayer  by  President  A.  Leland  Elmer  of  Panguitch  Stake. 
Selection  by  members  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir,  "Lo  My  Shep- 
herd is  Divine." 

ELDER  JOSEPH  FIELDING  SMITH 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

Many  centuries  ago,  before  the  birth  of  our  Lord,  a  prophet  who 
was  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  and  a  desire  that  the  gospel 
truths  should  be  carried  to  all  men,  in  his  righteous  zeal  gave  utter- 
ance to  the  following  words: 

O  that  I  were  an  angel,  and  could  have  the  wish  of  mine  heart,  that 
I  might  go  forth  and  speak  with  the  trump  of  God,  with  a  voice  to  shake 
the  earth,  and  cry  repentance  unto  every  people! 

Yea,  I  would  declare  unto  every  soul,  as  with  a  voice  of  thunder, 
repentance  and  the  plan  of  redemption,  that  they  should  repent  and  come 
unto  our  God,  that  there  might  not  be  more  sorrow  upon  all  the  face 
of  the  earth.  (Alma  29:1-2.) 

Then  on  his  reflection  he  reached  the  conclusion  that  he  was 
asking  for  too  much,  that  perhaps  he  was  sinning  in  his  wish  to  be 
like  an  angel,  with  a  voice  of  thunder,  to  reach  the  ends  of  the  earth; 
but  if  Alma  were  here  today,  I  know  he  would  be  very  grateful  for 
the  facilities  and  the  opportunities  that  we  have  to  reach  the  peoples, 
not  only  who  are  assembled  but  also  scattered  abroad. 

Wish  to  Reach  People 

I  feel  much  like  Alma  this  afternoon.  I  do  not  desire  to  speak  like 
an  angel  nor  do  I  desire  to  shake  the  earth,  but  his  desire  was  righteous 
in  having  the  wish  to  reach  people.  I  have  that  same  wish,  and  I  am 
grateful  for  the  opportunities  that  present  themselves,  not  only  to 
reach  the  members  of  the  Church  here  assembled  and  who  may  be 
listening  in,  but  I  hope  also  that  there  are  multitudes  of  those  who  are 
not  members  of  the  Church  who  are  listening  to  the  counsels  and  the 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 


instructions  which  are  being  given  in  this  conference,  not  only  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  but  also  for  the  peoples  of  all  the 
earth. 

After  making  the  statement  that  he  asked  for  too  much,  he  added 
these  words : 

I  ought  not  to  harrow  up  in  my  desires,  the  firm  decree  of  a  just 
God,  for  I  know  that  he  granteth  unto  men  according  to  their  desire, 
whether  it  be  unto  death  or  unto  life;  yea,  I  know  that  he  allotteth  unto 
men  according  to  their  wills,  whether  they  be  unto  salvation  or  unto 
destruction. 

Yea,  and  I  know  that  good  and  evil  have  come  before  all  men; 
he  that  knoweth  not  good  from  evil  is  blameless;  but  he  that  knoweth  good 
and  evil,  to  him  it  is  given  according  to  his  desires,  whether  he  desireth 
good  or  evil,  life  or  death,  joy  or  remorse  of  conscience.  {Ibid.,  4-5.) 


President  Smith  in  his  opening  remarks  spoke  of  free  agency, 
the  great  gift  the  Lord  has  bestowed  upon  every  soul  to  act  for 
himself,  to  make  his  own  choice,  to  be  an  agent  with  a  power  to 
believe  and  accept  the  truth  and  receive  eternal  life  or  to  reject 
the  truth  and  receive  remorse  of  conscience.  This  is  one  of  the 
greatest  gifts  of  God.  What  would  we  be  without  it,  if  we  were 
compelled  as  some  people  would  like  to  have  their  fellows  compelled 
to  do  their  will?  There  could  be  no  salvation;  there  could  be  no 
rewards  of  righteousness;  no  one  could  be  punished  for  unfaithfulness 
because  men  would  not  be  accountable  before  their  Maker. 


Having  made  these  remarks,  I  want  to  say  to  all  those  who  are 
listening  at  this  particular  time  that  I  have  a  testimony  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  God,  and  is,  for  his  work  has  not  ceased, 
for  a  righteous  man's  work  does  not  cease:  Joseph  Smith  was  a 
righteous  man  when  he  died;  I  know  that  he  was  called,  appointed 
by  our  Father  in  heaven;  that  he  received  revelation  and  guidance 
from  the  Son  of  God  that  would  be  of  benefit  and  a  blessing  to  all 
men  if  they  would  receive  it. 

Now  in  what  I  have  to  say  I  wish  to  direct  my  remarks  to  those 
who  are  not  members  of  the  Church,  if  there  are  any  such  listening. 
I  want  them  to  know  that  I  believe  this  sincerely  and  absolutely. 
That  is  my  faith.  I  think  I  can  say  safely  it  is  my  knowledge,  by  the 
gift  of  God,  that  Joseph  Smith  in  the  year  1820  did  see  the  Father 
and  the  Son;  that  the  Father  introduced  his  Son;  that  the  Son  spoke 
to  him,  asked  him  what  he  wanted  to  know,  and  gave  him  counsel; 
told  him  what  to  do,  with  the  promise  that  eventually  other  light 
would  come  and  the  fulness  of  the  gospel,  which  was  not  then  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth,  would  be  restored. 


Free  Agency 


Joseph  Smith  a  Prophet 


ELDER  JOSEPH  FIELDING  SMITH  89 


This  is  either  true  or  false.  To  me  it  cannot  he  false.  To  you 
who  sit  here  looking  at  me  it  cannot  be  false.  It  is  just  as  true  as  it 
is  that  the  sun  shines.  You  know  it,  and  I  know  it.  And  every  soul 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth  who  has  a  desire  to  know  it  has  the  privi- 
lege for  every  soul  that  will  humble  himself,  and  in  the  depths  of 
humility  and  faith,  with  a  contrite  spirit,  go  before  the  Lord,  will  re- 
ceive that  knowledge  just  as  surely  as  he  lives,  so  that  he  also  may 
know  that  this  story  is  true. 

Truth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 

« 

I  am  just  as  firmly  convinced  that  this  Book  of  Mormon  from 
which  I  have  read  is  the  word  of  God  and  was  revealed,  as  Joseph 
Smith  declared  it  was  revealed,  as  I  am  that  I  stand  here  looking  into 
your  faces.  Every  soul  on  the  face  of  the  earth  who  has  intelligence 
enough  to  understand  may  know  that  truth.  How  can  he  know  it? 
All  he  has  to  do  is  to  follow  the  formula  that  was  given  by  the  Lord 
himself  when  he  declared  to  the  Jews  that  they  who  would  do  the 
will  of  his  Father  should  know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it  was  of  God 
or  whether  he  spoke  of  himself.  My  witness  to  all  the  world  is 
that  this  book  is  true.  I  have  read  it  many,  many  times.  I  have  not. 
read  it  enough.  It  still  contains  truths  that  I  still  may  seek  and 
find,  for  I  have  not  mastered  it,  but  I  know  it  is  true. 

I  know  that  the  testimony  of  these  witnesses  recorded  in  each 
copy  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  true,  that  they  stood  in  the  presence 
of  an  angel  of  God  who  declared  unto  them  that  the  record  as  it  was 
translated  was  correct,  that  their  testimony  that  God  spoke  to 
them  from  the  heavens  calling  upon  them  to  bear  witness  of  that 
fact  is  true,  and  there  is  not  a  soul  who  cannot  receive  that  testimony 
if  he  desires  to  receive  it,  by  reading  this  book  prayerfully  and  faith- 
fully, with  a  desire  to  know  the  truth  as  Moroni  has  declared  by 
revelation.  He  shall  know  the  truth  regarding  the  restoration  of  this 
scripture  given  to  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  this  continent. 

Importance  of  Accepting  Truth 

Now  this  declaration  or  testimony  that  I  have  given  is  vital  to 
every  living  soul,  for  I  want  to  say  that  if  a  man  unto  whom  the 
knowledge  of  this  record  comes,  and  unto  whom  the  testimony  has 
been  given  that  Joseph  Smith  saw  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  that 
the  gospel  was  restored  by  commandment  of  God  and  the  coming  of 
angels,  rejects  that  testimony  and  will  not  follow  it  through,  he  will 
have  to  face  it  before  the  judgment  seat  of  God  and  give  answer  why 
he  refused  to  harken — so  it  is  a  vital  message  to  every  soul. 

Every  man  who  rejects  this  record,  who  rejects  the  testimony  of 
Joseph  Smith,  who  declares  him  to  be  a  false  prophet  and  this  book 
a  fraud,  who  has  had  this  testimony  which  it  contains  given  unto 
him,  will  stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of  God  condemned,  because 


90  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  1  Second  Day 

the  truth  was  laid  before  him.  He  had  the  opportunity  to  hear  and 
receive,  and  in  rejecting  it  he  has  placed  himself  in  disfavor  with  his 
Father  in  heaven. 

I  will  read  a  verse  or  two  from  the  testimony  of  Nephi  which  is 
given  at  the  close  of  the  record  which  he  kept.  I  cannot  take  time  to 
read  it  all.  You  will  find  it  in  Chapter  33  of  Second  Nephi.  I  will 
read  the  last  four  verses. 

And  I  pray  the  Father  in  the  name  of  Christ  that  many  of  us,  if  not 
all,  may  be  saved  in  his  kingdom  at  that  great  and  last  day. 

And  now,  my  beloved  brethren,  all  those  who  are  of  the  house  of 
Israel,  and  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth,  I  speak  unto  you  as  the  voice  of 
one  crying  from  the  dust:   Farewell  until  that  great  day  shall  come. 

And  you  that  will  not  partake  of  the  goodness  of  God,  and  respect  the 
words  of  the  Jews,  and  also  my  words,  and  the  words  which  shall 
proceed  forth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  behold,  I  bid  you 
an  everlasting  farewell  for  these  words  shall  condemn  you  at  the  last 
day. 

For  what  I  seal  on  earth  shall  be  brought  against  you  at  the  judg- 
ment bar;  for  thus  hath  the  Lord  commanded  me  and  I  must  obey.  Amen. 

The  Lord  bless  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  OSCAR  A.  KIRKHAM 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

I  humbly  pray  that  I  may  enjoy  the  blessings  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  To  me  it  is  a  high  privilege  to  stand  before  this  audience.  I  am 
extremely  grateful  to  my  Heavenly  Father.  I  pray  that  he  may  let 
me  speak  his  word. 

Look  Up  to  the  Spires 

While  coming  over  to  this  meeting  this  afternoon,  I  had  quite 
an  impressive  incident  happen  to  me.  I  greatly  admire  these  grounds. 
I  often  chat  with  the  men  who  make  the  flowers  grow  and  bloom. 
Today  I  met  a  familiar  brother.  I  said:  "Well,  I  see  you  are 
working  today." 

"Yes,  Brother  Kirkham." 

"Don't  you  ever  get  tired?  I  see  you  here  early  in  the  morning, 
and  I  have  seen  you  here  late  at  night." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  get  tired  once  in  awhile,  but  the  people  enjoy  the 
flowers,  and  once  in  awhile  they  look  up  at  the  spires." 

I  would  love  to  put  it  into  the  heart  of  every  man  and  woman 
in  this  Church  that  they  must  not  grow  weary.  Way  out  in  your 
own  private  lives,  in  service  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  it  may  be  that 
at  times  you  may  be  weary,  but  I  bear  humble  testimony  because  of 
what  I  have  seen  throughout  the  stakes  of  Zion  and  especially  in  the 
missionary  field,  that  men  with  whom  you  have  patience  and  with 
whom  you  patiently  work,  often  "look  up  to  the  spires." 


ELDER  OSCAR  A.  KIRK  HAM 


91 


I  was  deeply  impressed  at  the  Smithfield  conference  last  Sunday. 
A  fine  young  woman  was  reporting  her  attendance  at  a  state  con- 
vention. One  hundred  and  twenty  young  women  had  been  called 
to  one  of  our  large  institutions  from  all  parts  of  the  state.  They  were 
studying  American  citizenship  opportunities.  At  the  stake  conference 
she  was  asked  to  make  a  report.  She  did  so,  and  it  was  helpful 
and  inspiring.  All  at  once  I  saw  her  grasp  the  pulpit,  and  with  rare 
dignity  she  said  to  the  audience:  "I  want  to  bear  my  testimony." 

Then  in  beautifully  chosen  words,  with  deep  humility,  she  de- 
clared her  faith  in  God  and  her  gratitude  for  her  heritage,  for  the 
blessings  she  enjoyed. 

Be  Unafraid 

I  am  sure  with  many  of  the  words  of  warning  that  have  come 
to  us  during  this  conference,  and  as  we  do  face  a  world  of  great  un- 
certainty, so  great,  and  so  fraught  with  possible  destruction  we  are 
almost  frightened  to  speak  about  it  at  times,  or  they  who  know  most 
about  it  are  silent,  and  yet,  in  my  humble  thinking,  I  say,  be  unafraid. 
If  we  are  living  as  we  should  live,  then  there  need  be  no  fear.  Our 
faith  in  God  will  give  us  strength,  assurance,  a  sense  of  safety  and 
security.    We  need  have  no  fear. 

One  of  our  great  American  thinkers  has  said: 

We  do  not  need  to  fear  these  things.    We  need  to  fear  whether  man 
has  faith  in  God. 

Greatness  in  Youth 

All  my  life  I  have  labored  with  youth,  in  the  out-of-doors, 
largely.  My  humble  illustrations  come  largely  from  that  field.  I 
know  that  deep  within  youth  there  is  greatness.  It  is  a  natural  law 
that  the  Lord  will  preserve  the  right  and  the  truth,  and  soon  you 
and  I  will  pass  this  on  to  the  hands  of  a  great  generation  of  youth. 

I  stood  a  few  years  ago  with  a  group  of  youth  in  Holland  where 
the  tulips  grow.  There  were  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  young 
American  youths  about  me.  We  went  down  to  see  the  loveliest 
tulip  beds  in  the  world.  Flowers  were  not  blooming  in  abundance 
then,  but  here  and  there  and  in  the  hothouses  there  were  some  fine 
specimens.  An  elderly  Dutch  gardener  came  out  when  he  saw  we 
had  arrived.  I  remember  he  held  up  a  brown  bulb  and  said:  "This 
will  be  my  prize  winner  at  the  fair." 

All  we  saw  were  the  brown  husks  of  the  tulip  bulb,  but  he  saw 
beyond  that.    He  saw  the  prize  bulb  at  the  Holland  fair. 

I  appeal  to  you,  do  not  neglect  your  duty  to  youth  but  have  faith 
in  them.  They  may  look  like  brown  bulbs  today,  but  they  will  be 
prize  winners  tomorrow.  They  are  marching  into  the  greatest  world 
and  are  the  greatest  generation,  in  my  humble  opinion,  that  the  world 


92  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  1  _  Second  Day 

has  ever  seen.  That  is  my  faith.  I  only  wish  that  I  might  march 
with  them  and  be  a  lad  of  twelve  years. 

The  Lord  will  be  with  them  and  strengthen  them.  They  are 
magnificent.  I  have  just  left  a  hundred  and  seventy-five  of  them 
in  the  Northwestern  States  Mission.  It  was  thrilling  to  catch  their 
spirit  and  their  hope  and  their  devotion  to  the  service  of  the  Lord. 

Sun  Always  There 

Out  in  the  Zuni  Indian  village  one  day  I  followed  the  runner 
who  went  out  to  give  his  daily  ceremony  to  the  coming  of  the  sun. 
On  the  hilltop  he  stretched  forth  his  arms  and  chanted.  When  he 
started  to  return  to  the  village,  I  walked  over  to  him  and  said,  "It 
is  cloudy  this  morning.    Do  you  always  come?" 

And  then  he  said,  "Oh,  the  sun  is  always  there." 

That  is  it.  "The  sun  is  always  there."  Let  us  have  faith  and  know 
that  the  sun  is  always  there. 

I  would  like  to  read  one  verse  from  Timothy: 

For  God  hath  not  given  us  the  spirit  of  fear;  but  of  power,  and  of 
love,  and  of  a  sound  mind.    (II  Timothy  1:7.) 

This  thought  I  would  like  to  suggest  in  connection  with  youth 
and  in  connection  with  our  own  lives:  There  are  many  things  that 
will  give  us  inspiration  and  guidance.  It  is  astonishing  when  you 
hear  men  frankly  and  freely  bear  their  testimonies — when  the 
message  came  to  their  hearts,  that  was  the  moment  when  the  Lord 
spoke  to  them.  I  pray  that  the  Lord  will  quicken  the  best  within 
us.  We  are  likely  to  refer  to  it  as  conscience.  I  believe  that  men 
and  women  who  live  humbly  and  prayerfully  may  have  within  them- 
selves the  blessing  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  a 
power  that  will  guide  them,  protect  them,  reveal  to  them  truth,  give 
them  knowledge  throughout  their  days,  for  their  own  blessing  and 
protection. 

"Somehow  we  must  get  back  to  God,"  said  a  great  American, 
"and  that  is  very  difficult  for  modern  minds  who  have  lost  simplicity." 
I  shall  read  a  few  verses  from  the  Ninetieth  Psalm: 

Return  O  Lord,  .  .  . 

O  satisfy  us  early  with  thy  mercy:  that  we  may  rejoice  and  be  glad 
all  our  days  .  .  . 

Let  thy  work  appear  unto  thy  servants  and  thy  glory  unto  their 
children. 

And  let  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon  us.  (Psalm  90:13-14, 
16-17.) 

The  Voice  Within 

I  pray  that  this  spirit  of  a  voice  within,  the  Lord  trying  to  speak 
to  us  and  guide  us,  may  be  with  us.  It  is  a  very  personal  affair.  We 
do  not  need  to  wait  for  any  great  occasion  depending  on  someone 


ELDER  STEPHEN  L  RICHARDS 


93 


else  to  assist  us.  His  Spirit  will  be  with  us  every  day,  at  all  times,  if 
we  serve  God  humbly  and  pray  for  his  guidance. 

This  delightful  experience  came  in  the  form  of  a  testimony  out 
in  the  mission  that  I  recently  visited.  A  young  missionary  bearing 
his  testimony  of  what  it  meant  to  the  family  for  a  young  man  to  go 
on  a  mission,  and  how  the  Lord  truly  provided,  recited  this  incident: 

When  I  left  home  I  didn't  know  whether  father  would  be  able  to 
make  it  or  not  in  keeping  up  the  expenses  but  he  and  mother  said  "Go, 
we'll  do  the  best  we  can  for  you,  Son." 

I  came  into  the  missionary  field.  We  had  been  getting  along  all 
right  and  last  week  I  received  a  letter  from  father.  He  told  the  story 
that  they  were  working  hard  and  they  had  harvested  a  good  crop, 
and  then  he  told  the  story  of  my  little  brother  eleven  years  old. 

Dad  said,  "I  have  been  giving  your  brother  work  on  the  binder.  We 
were  giving  him  fifty  cents  an  acre  to  run  it.  He  had  done  very  well;  he 
had  worked  early  and  late.  Then  the  day  came  when  we  were  to  pay 
him.  The  neighbors  had  sent  in  their  checks  and  I  was  going  to  pay  him. 
I  asked  him:  'Now  Son  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  money?'  Your 
brother  said:  'Well,  Father,  I  want  a  pair  of  Levis  and  I  want  to  go  to  the 
County  Fair  and  the  rest  I  want  to  send  to  my  brother  on  his  mission.'  " 

He  enjoyed  that  voice  within.  The  Lord  was  guiding  him  in 
his  tender  years.  He  had  caught  the  spirit  that  his  brother  had  in 
missionary  service. 

With  the  same  feeling  I  bear  my  testimony:  have  patience 
wherever  you  are  called  to  labor,  that  those  for  whom  you  work  may 
"look  up  to  the  spires,"  and  receive  inspiration  and  comfort.  Oh, 
listen  to  the  voice  within,  that  it  may  guide  you  safely  on  the  way. 
Do  not  be  disturbed  by  the  scare  lines  of  papers  and  commentators 
on  the  radio.  Know  that  you  have  God  with  you  if  you  but  do  his 
will. 

I  thank  him  humbly  for  these  things,  and  I  bear  testimony  and 
pray  for  all  of  us,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  STEPHEN  L  RICHARDS 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

I  would  like  to  send  out  greetings  and  a  message  to  the  elders 
of  the  Church.  I  refer  to  those  belonging  to  the  elders  quorums,  not 
to  all  of  those  who  are  sometimes  designated  as  elders  who  belong 
to  other  quorums.  I  think  that  it  is  necessary  to  send  this  message 
out  by  you,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  because  large  numbers  of  this 
priesthood  are  not  present  at  our  conference  here  today,  and  many 
may  not  even  be  listening  in  to  the  proceedings. 

Elders  Quorums 

The  elders  constitute  our  largest  body  of  priesthood.  There 
are  one  thousand  and  thirty-three  quorums,  with  seventy-two  thou- 


94  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  I 


Second  Da;/ 


sand  nine  hundred  and  four  members  enrolled,  making  the  average 
enrollment  in  each  quorum  just  about  seventy. 

The  quorums  are  widely  distributed  throughout  the  stakes  of 
Zion  and  in  some  of  the  missions  of  the  Church,  affording  adequate 
opportunity  for  all  men  holding  this  priesthood  to  be  served  by  their 
quorums. 

The  quorums  are  under  the  direct  presidencies  and  supervision 
of  the  stake  presidency  who  determine  and  ordain  the  membership 
and  select  and  install  their  officers.  In  fact,  the  maintenance  of 
these  quorums  constitutes,  perhaps  the  most  direct  and  exclusive 
priesthood  responsibility  which  the  stake  presidencies  have. 

The  membership  of  the  quorums  is  made  up  of  young  men, 
middle-aged  men,  and  older  men.  Many  of  the  young  men  are  on 
missions  or  are  preparing  to  fill  missions  or  have  recently  returned 
therefrom.  Some  of  the  young  men  come  into  the  quorums  in  con- 
templation of  marriage,  and  some  merely  by  way  of  advancement 
from  the  Aaronic  Priesthood. 

To  all  of  these  young  men  I  extend  my  congratulations.  Brethren, 
you  have  attained  a  high  place  and  great  distinction  in  the  Church 
of  God.  You  have  been  accorded  recognition  for  your  faith,  your 
clean  living,  and  your  worthy  ambition  to  be  servants  of  our  Lord. 
The  honor  which  has  come  to  you  and  the  responsibilities  and  oppor- 
tunities which  arise  out  of  your  high  calling  are  immeasurable,  as 
I  shall  attempt  to  show.  I  pray  the  Lord  to  bless  you  young  elders, 
that  your  appreciation  and  enthusiasm  for  this  newly-acquired 
priesthood  shall  grow  and  deepen  with  the  years  and  your  experi- 
ences, and  that  you  will  never  cease  to  regard  it  as  your  most  price- 
less possession. 

High  Honor  of  Elders'  Calling 

And  now,  I  address  myself  to  members  of  the  elders  quorums 
who  have  been  members  for  five,  ten,  twenty,  or  more  years.  Brethren 
of  this  group,  did  you  ever  think  when,  as  a  young  man  you  were 
ordained  an  elder  preparatory  to  going  on  a  mission  or  being  married 
in  the  temple,  that  in  five,  ten,  or  twenty  years  you  would  lose  re- 
gard for  that  high  honor  and  the  precious  gift  which  has  come  to 
you?  Did  you  ever  think  that  the  time  would  come  when  you  would 
no  longer  wish  the  association  and  fellowship  of  your  brethren  in  the 
quorum?  Did  you  ever  think  then  that  you  would  fail  to  respond 
to  the  calls  coming  to  you  through  your  quorum  for  a  kindly  service 
to  a  fellow  member  or  his  family  or  to  others  in  need?  Did  it  ever 
occur  to  you  in  those  days  of  your  young  manhood,  with  this  Holy 
Priesthood  resting  upon  you,  when  you  took  your  young  sweetheart 
to  the  holy  temple,  where  your  marriage  was  sealed  and  sanctified 
and  your  home  begun,  with  a  resolution  in  your  young  heart  to  attain 
through  your  faithfulness  those  transcendent  blessings  pronounced 


ELDER  STEPHEN  L  RICHARDS 


95 


upon  you — did  it  ever  occur  to  you  then  that  in  five,  ten,  or  twenty 
years  hence  you  would  have  forgotten  those  solemn  resolutions  and 
abandoned  your  ambition  and  disappointed  and  saddened  your  dear 
companion? 

I  am  sure  you  never  thought  that  in  those  early  days  of  your 
eldership  these  things  would  come. 

How  have  they  come  to  all  too  many  of  this  great  body  of 
priesthood?    I  think  perhaps  I  can  tell  you,  or  at  least  I  can  try. 

Loss  of  Interest 

Some  of  you  began  to  slip  when  you  let  other  affairs  and  other 
engagements  take  you  away  from  your  quorum  meetings.  You 
began  to  prefer  other  company  to  that  of  your  fellow  members.  You 
left  the  work  of  the  quorums  to  those  few  sturdy  wheel  horses  al- 
ways willing  to  carry  on.  You  subordinated  the  quorum  to  other 
things  you  considered  more  important.  You  gradually  lost  the  desire 
for  the  education  and  the  opportunities  it  affords.  And  then  after 
you  had  removed  yourself  from  the  warm,  stimulating  influence  of 
your  brethren  in  the  quorum,  you  found  yourselves  becoming  critical, 
critical  of  the  teachings,  lessons,  and  procedure,  and  you  summed 
it  all  up  as  rather  dull  business,  possibly  without  realizing  that  you 
and  others  like  you  might  have  made  it  most  interesting  and  profit- 
able. 

And  then  you  forgot  another  thing,  which  our  brother  who 
prayed  in  the  session  this  morning  brought  to  our  attention.  You 
forgot  when  you  were  ordained  that  a  great  confidence  and  trust 
was  reposed  in  you,  and  you  forgot  that  you  must  be  true  to  that 
trust.    You  neglected  it. 

I  remember  years  ago  hearing  of  a  young  elders'  quorum  presi- 
dency setting  out  to  visit  all  the  members  of  their  quorum.  They 
came  to  the  home  of  one,  a  man  of  maturity  who  had  had  consider- 
able business  success,  and  knocked  at  his  door.  He  came  to  the 
door.  They  told  him  who  they  were,  that  his  name  was  on  the  record 
of  members,  and  that  they  had  come  to  visit  him.  He  said,  these 
were  the  words  he  used:  "Well,  gentlemen,  you  may  come  in  if 
you  wish,  but  I  must  tell  you  in  advance  that  I  have  long  since  lost 
interest  in  the  work  you  represent.  I  have  repented  of  some  of  the 
follies  of  my  youth" — he  had  been  on  a  mission — "and  I  now  de- 
vote myself  to  more  substantial  things." 

Naturally  they  were  chilled  with  such  a  reception,  and  they 
were  about  to  depart  when  they  heard  the  voice  of  this  man's  wife, 
who  had  apparently  overheard  the  conversation.  She  called  to 
them:   "Brethren,  please  come  again." 

Largely  in  response  to  her  appeal,  these  young  men  took  cour- 
age to  go  again  and  again,  and  after  a  time,  in  part  through  their 

efforts,  in  part  through  the  persuasion  of  his  wife,  this  man  repented 


96  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  1 


Second  Day 


of  the  follies  he  had  committed  since  his  youth,  and  came  back  to 
activity  in  the  Church  and  held  a  responsible  office. 

Weaknesses  of  Members 

Then,  my  brethren  of  the  quorums,  you  did  other  things  that 
drew  you  away.  Without  the  aid  and  encouragement  of  your 
brethren  you  succumbed  to  some  weaknesses.  If  you  had  smoked 
before  your  ordination,  you  took  it  up  again.  If  you  had  never 
smoked,  you  formed  the  acquaintance  of  men  who  did,  and  you  took 
up  the  practice  to  be  one  with  them,  as  you  thought.  Some  of  you 
began  drinking  a  little  for  the  same  purpose.  You  joined  the  clubs 
and  the  societies  of  these  men  of  the  world,  sometimes  their  lodges. 
You  laughed  at  cheap  jokes  about  the  priesthood.  You  joined  in 
their  pleasures  and  pastimes  on  Sundays.  When  you  might  have 
been  exercising  your  priesthood,  you  played  golf  with  them;  you 
went  hunting  and  fishing;  and  after  awhile  some  of  you  forgot, 
forgot  that  you  belonged  to  a  quorum,  that  you  were  bound  to 
your  brethren  by  sacred  ties,  forgot  even  that  you  had  been  set 
apart  and  vested  with  a  holy  power  to  make  you  men  "different" 
from  other  men  in  the  world. 

Now  I  grant  that  this  may  not  have  been  the  course  of  all  who 
have  become  inactive  in  the  elders'  quorums  of  the  Church.  Exact- 
ing occupations,  in  some  cases,  disappointments,  real  or  fancied 
differences  with  Church  Authorities,  and  pure  indolence  may  have 
made  their  contributions,  but  on  sober  consideration,  my  brethren, 
I  believe  you  will  agree  that  the  course  which  I  have  outlined  is  that 
which  many  have  followed. 

Message  for  Inactive 

Now  this  is  the  message  that  I  send  out  to  you  elders  of  the 
Church  who  are  inactive  in  its  affairs  and  indifferent  to  your 
responsibilities  and  opportunities.  Study  yourselves.  Hark  back 
to  the  days  when  you  received  the  priesthood.  Try  to  live  again  the 
joy  and  pride  which  it  brought  to  you.  Trace  your  lines  of  authority 
and  find  out  how  proximate  you  are  to  the  restoration  of  the  priest- 
hood in  this  dispensation.  Never  disparage  in  your  own  estimation 
the  office  of  an  elder  in  the  Church  of  Christ.  Remember  that  this 
Church  was  organized  by  two  elders,  the  first  and  second  elder  of 
the  Church,  and  that  it  was  the  first  office  in  the  Church.  No  higher 
priesthood  than  that  of  elder  is  required  to  be  a  minster  of  the 
gospel  and  to  preach  to  the  nations  of  the  earth.  No  higher  priest- 
hood is  required  to  go  into  the  holy  temple  and  receive  the  lofty 
blessings  that  are  therein  bestowed.  No  higher  priesthood  is  re- 
quired to  enter  into  the  eternal  covenant  of  marriage  and  become 
the  head  of  a  great  household. 


ELDER  STEPHEN  L  RICHARDS  97 


I  once  heard  President  Joseph  F.  Smith  say,  over  in  the  Assembly 
Hall  at  one  of  the  special  priesthood  meetings  held  in  connection  with 
the  general  conference  of  the  Church,  that  if  all  the  priesthood  of  the 
Church  were  to  be  obliterated  save  one  elder  only,  he  would  have 
the  inherent  right  and  power  under  appointment  to  reorganize  the 
entire  Church  with  all  its  offices. 

Be  proud  to  be  an  elder.  Enrich  your  lives  by  close  association 
with  your  fellow  quorum  members.  Make  the  quorums  of  the  elders 
the  finest  clubs  and  fraternities  in  this  world. 

Do  you  know,  my  brethren,  that  the  greatest  reservoir  of  power 
and  strength  in  the  whole  Church  is  in  these  quorums  of  the  elders? 
Make  that  power  available  to  the  Church,  and  it  will  go  forward 
by  leaps  and  bounds. 

The  final  appeal  I  make  to  you,  my  brethren,  is  do  not  disappoint 
and  grieve  your  wives  and  families.  Every  understanding  faithful 
Latter-day  Saint  woman  knows  that  the  highest  blessings  which 
may  come  to  her  and  her  children  must  come  through  the  priesthood. 
She  knows  that  there  can  be  no  perpetuation  of  the  family  in  eternity 
without  a  husband  and  father  honoring  the  Holy  Priesthood.  Many 
a  good  wife  and  mother  today  is  filled  with  apprehension  and  sorrow 
in  the  neglect  and  behavior  of  the  elder  who  stands  at  the  head  of 
her  household. 

For  her  sake,  for  the  sake  of  her  children  and  your  children, 
and  other  men's  children,  I  plead  with  you  to  forsake  worldly  habits 
and  your  indifference  and  neglect  and  criticism,  and  come  back  to 
the  association  of  your  brethren  who  love  you. 

Divinity  of  Priesthood 

You  know  when  you  stop  to  think  that  the  priesthood  you  hold 
is  genuine.  Very  few  of  you  have  strayed  so  far  that  you  have 
lost  that  testimony.  It  may  be  dormant,  but  it  is  not  dead.  It  will 
be  rekindled,  with  your  renewed  activity,  and  it  will  bless  your  lives 
with  inexpressible  happiness  and  joy. 

I  know  that  that  priesthood  which  we  are  honored  to  bear  is 
genuine  and  divine.  I  know  that  it  is  more  than  a  name.  I  know 
that  in  it  is  an  essence  of  force  and  of  power.  I  cannot  explain  it, 
but  I  know  that  there  is  a  constituency  in  it  which  someday  we  will 
understand,  and  that  it  emanates  from  God  himself. 

I  have  felt  that  power.  I  have  seen  its  effects.  I  know  that 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  received  it  from  angelic  ministers,  and  I 
know  that  it  has  been  transmitted  to  you  and  to  me  to  be  used  in  the 
blessing  of  God's  children  and  the  establishment  of  his  work.  I 
will  try  to  honor  that  priesthood.    Will  you,  my  brethren? 

I  pray  that  we  may  and  that  God  will  help  us  so  to  do,  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  whose  servants  we  are.  Amen. 

The  Choir  and  congregation  sang  the  hymn,  "High  On  the 
Mountain  Top." 


98  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  1 


Second  Day 


ELDER  JOSEPH  L.  WIRTHLIN 

First  Counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric 

To  me,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  this  great  conference  has  been 
a  spiritual  feast.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  has  been  here  in  rich 
abundance,  and  I  am  sure  all  of  us  have  partaken  of  that  fine  sweet 
spirit  of  assurance,  and  I  trust  that  the  moment  or  two  that  I  occupy, 
I  might  enjoy  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord, 

We  are  facing  a  disintegrating  world.  These  are  dark  days. 
Some  of  the  great  nations  of  the  past,  such  as  Great  Britain,  France, 
Japan,  and  others,  find  themselves  in  spiritual  and  temporal  bank- 
ruptcy. We  look  to  the  south  and  what  do  we  see,  nations  in  the 
throes  of  revolution.  In  the  Orient,  communism  and  famine  are 
stalking  over  the  land;  and  in  our  great  nation  there  are  certain 
trends  which  give  us  deep  concern. 

In  contemplating  conditions  in  the  world,  we  wonder  why  this 
world-wide  disorder.  I  think  there  is  an  answer  and  the  answer  is 
in  the  fact  that  men  have  forgotten  God  and  many  of  the  divine 
principles  which  would  have  brought  peace,  prosperity,  and  good 
will  among  the  nations. 

Virtue  of  Honesty 

I  am  thinking  particularly  of  one  virtue  that  has  been  cast  aside; 
namely,  the  virtue  of  honesty,  that  of  which  Richard  C.  Cabot  of 
Harvard  University  declared:  "The  continued  existence  of  any 
group — tribe,  nation,  or  industry — implies  the  dominance  of  honesty 
as  a  cohesive  force  between  them." 

The  first  murder  in  the  history  of  the  human  family  was  a 
result  of  a  dishonest  act.  Two  young  men  took  their  offerings  to 
the  Lord.  Abel  presented  the  Lord  with  the  firstlings  of  the  flock. 
Cain  presented  to  the  Lord  the  products  of  the  field,  but  they  were 
not  the  best.  Abel's  offering  was  received  by  the  Lord.  Cain  was 
rebuked  for  his  offering  because  in  it  there  was  the  element  of  deceit. 
Cain  became  angry,  and  in  a  jealous  rage  slew  his  brother,  Abel 

Dishonesty  Brings  War 

In  every  great  war  that  has  been  fought,  the  cause  can  usually 
be  traced  to  some  dishonest  act  on  the  part  of  one  leader  on  one 
side  or  the  leaders  on  both  sides.  In  World  War  I,  it  was  declared 
by  some  of  the  leaders  of  the  great  nations  involved  in  that  terrible 
struggle  that  the  written  solemn  word  given  by  them  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  peace  in  the  form  of  treaties  was  but  scraps  of  paper. 

Before  World  War  II,  the  leaders  of  Europe  got  together,  and 
finally  Chamberlain  of  Great  Britain  returned  to  his  people  indicat- 
ing that  there  would  be  peace  in  his  time.  But  he  had  hardly  re- 
turned to  his  countrymen  when  the  guarantees,  the  promises  and 


ELDER  JOSEPH  L.  WIRTHLIN 


99 


the  words  of  honor  that  were  given  by  the  leaders  of  men,  were 
cast  aside,  and  one  of  the  greatest  and  one  of  the  bloodiest  wars 
in  all  history  was  fought. 

Salvation  of  the  world  depends  upon  a  revival  of  the  cardinal 
principles  of  honesty.  It  must  become  the  foundation  for  all  nego- 
tiations between  nations  wherein  diplomatic  trickery  and  double- 
talk  are  to  be  eliminated  and  cast  aside.  Other  than  this,  World 
War  III  will  become  a  holocaust  involving  the  destruction  of  civilian 
populations  as  well  as  armed  forces. 

Individual  Honesty 

Honesty  cannot  become  a  national,  a  world-wide  virtue,  unless 
it  becomes  a  primal  part  of  the  thinking,  the  actions,  and  the  character 
of  the  individual.  We  have  some  shining  examples  of  individual 
honesty.  I  think  of  one  pioneer  grandmother  who  was  upon  her 
deathbed.  She  seemed  to  be  reflecting  over  the  events  of  her  life, 
and  finally  she  called  her  son  to  her  side  and  said:  "I  am  still  in 
debt.    I  owe  the  dairyman  up  the  street  five  cents." 

Of  course  the  dairyman  was  immediately  paid,  but  in  the  think- 
ing of  this  pioneer  grandmother,  an  obligation  of  five  cents  was 
just  as  important  as  if  it  had  been  an  obligation  of  several  thousand 
dollars. 

I  think  of  Jacob  of  old  who  had  sent  his  sons  to  the  land  of 
Egypt  to  purchase  grain.  The  sacks  of  grain  were  returned  and 
in  the  mouth  of  each  sack  the  money  was  found.  Jacob  wanted 
to  impress  upon  the  ruler  of  Egypt  that  he  was  an  honest  man, 
and  so  his  sons  returned  with  double  the  amount  of  the  cost  of  the 
grain. 

We  think  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the  United  States, 
emancipator  and  liberator,  titles  that  will  go  down  on  the  pages  of 
history  till  the  end  of  time.  The  title  that  we  love  best  to  think  of, 
as  far  as  Abraham  Lincoln  is  concerned,  is  that  of  "Honest  Abe." 
And  I  am  sure  that  of  all  the  titles  this  great  man  carries,  "Honest 
Abe"  would  please  him  the  most. 

Mark  Twain  was  in  the  despair  of  financial  distress.  His  ad- 
visers suggested  that  he  work  out  some  sort  of  a  compromise  with 
his  creditors  but  he  declared  to  them:  "There  is  but  one  compromise, 
one  hundred  cents  on  the  dollar." 

That  is  a  far  cry  from  bankruptcy.  Whatever  might  be  said 
of  Mark  Twain,  he  was  an  honest  man. 

After  all,  honesty  or  dishonesty  can  become  an  integral  part 
of  our  characters.  Honesty  can  be  taught  in  the  schoolroom.  In  the 
schoolroom  there  can  be  put  forth  honest  efforts  or  there  can  be 
cheating.  In  the  schoolroom  great  truths  can  be  taught  to  the  stu- 
dents, or  false  doctrine. 

I  say  that  any  teacher,  whether  it  be  in  the  schoolroom,  or 
whether  it  be  in  a  Sunday  School  class,  who  fails  to  teach  the 


100  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  I 


Second  Day 


truth,  and  particularly  in  Church  organizations,  the  truth  as  revealed 
to  the  world  through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  is  not  honest 
with  his  students,  himself,  nor  his  God. 

Honesty  in  Government 

In  business  there  can  be  dependable,  honest  merchandising  or 
there  can  be  false  advertising,  or  poor  quality  of  merchandise  sold. 
In  the  great  field  of  politics  there  can  be  forthright,  honest  leader- 
ship, or  there  can  be  double-talk,  unfulfilled  promises,  which  eventu- 
ally lead  to  the  destruction  of  American  fundamentals.  In  administra- 
tion of  government  affairs,  if  the  administrators  are  honest  in  hand- 
ling the  public  funds — which  after  all,  belong  to  the  people — they 
will  administer  them  in  such  a  way  that  there  will  be  frugality  and 
savings  and  not  extravagant  expenditures. 

As  we  think  of  present-day  conditions,  there  come  to  mind  the 
words  of  one  of  the  founders  of  this  great  Republic,  Thomas  Jefferson 
— and  I  should  like  to  say  that  had  he  been  alive  today  the  words 
that  I  am  about  to  quote  to  you  could  not  be  more  fitting.    He  said: 

I  place  economy  among  the  first  and  most  important  virtues,  and 
public  debt  as  the  greatest  of  dangers  to  be  feared.  To  preserve  our 
independence  we  must  not  let  our  rulers  load  us  with  perpetual  debt.  We 
must  make  our  choice  between  economy  and  liberty,  or  profusion  and 
servitude.  If  we  run  into  such  debts,  we  must  be  taxed  in  our  meat 
and  drink,  in  our  necessities  and  our  comforts,  in  our  labors  and  in 
our  amusements.  If  we  can  prevent  the  government  from  wasting  the 
labors  of  the  people  under  the  pretense  of  caring  for  them,  they  will  be 
happy. 

Over  the  years  we  have  been  singing,  "God  Bless  America," 
and  I  want  to  say  to  you  that  God  has  blessed  America  and  her 
people  more  abundantly  than  any  other  people  or  nation  in  all  the 
world.  But  that  time  has  come,  my  brethren  and  sisters  when  we 
should  pray,  "God  save  America,"  on  a  basis  of  applying  the  principle 
of  honesty  and  integrity  in  all  of  our  dealings,  individually,  collective- 
ly, nationally,  and  internationally;  thereby  we  can  save  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States  and  preserve  for  ourselves  and  unborn 
generations  the  blessings  that  come  from  a  government  that  was 
given  to  us  by  Almighty  God. 

Honesty  in  Work 

There  can  be  honesty  or  dishonesty  in  the  field  of  labor,  an 
honest  day's  work  and  also  an  honest  day's  pay.  If  management 
and  labor  could  but  come  to  this  simple  solution,  there  would  be 
an  elimination  of  strife  and  difficulty.  Idleness,  too,  breeds  dis- 
honesty, for  idleness  anticipates  getting  something  for  nothing,  and 
the  darkest  hour  in  any  man's  life  is  when  he  sits  down  and  plans 
to  get  something  for  nothing. 


ELDER  JOSEPH  L.  WIRT  HUN  101 


I  submit  the  question  to  you  as  to  whether  or  not  a  member  of 
this  Church  who  affiliates  himself  with  any  organization  that  de- 
stroys the  principle  of  free  agency  and  freedom  of  action  is  honest 
with  himself  and  God.  I  do  not  believe  that  there  is  any  compro- 
mise between  truth  and  that  which  is  false.  No  man  can  maintain 
his  standing  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  and  compromise  with 
error,  for  as  the  Savior  said: 

No  man  can  serve  two  masters:  for  either  he  will  hate  the  one, 
and  love  the  other;  or  else  he  will  hold  to  the  one,  and  despise  the 
other.    Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon.     (Matt.  6:24.) 

Heritage  of  Honesty 

Now,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  what  does  this  mean  to  you,  and 
what  does  this  mean  to  me?  It  means  that  you  and  I  have  a  heritage 
from  our  pioneer  forefathers  in  the  form  of  a  banner  of  honesty 
untarnished,  and  there  rests  upon  each  and  everyone  of  us  the  obli- 
gation to  see  that  that  banner  is  as  brilliant,  sweet,  and  clean  as  the 
day  it  was  handed  to  us. 

Joseph  Smith,  in  writing  the  Articles  of  Faith,  said  this:  We 
believe  in  being  honest,  we  believe  in  being  true. 

One  of  the  evidences  of  an  honest  man  is  one  who  first  is  honest 
with  God  in  paying  back  to  the  Lord  that  tenth  which  belongs  to  him. 
An  honest  tithepayer  is  an  honest  man.  He  is  dependable.  He  is 
one  who  will  keep  his  word.  He  is  one  that  we  can  depend  upon 
to  keep  and  fulfil  his  contracts. 

I  have  heard  President  Grant  relate  many  times  the  story  of  a 
great  farm  implement  manufacturer  who  said  this: 

I  would  rather  have  the  word  of  a  Mormon  farmer  than  I  would 
his  written  contract  or  note. 

Brigham  Young  declared: 

Woe  to  those  who  profess  to  be  Saints  and  are  not  honest.  Only 
be  honest  with  yourselves,  and  you  will  be  honest  to  the  brethren.  Men 
must  be  honest.  They  must  live  faithfully  before  God  and  honor  their 
calling  and  being  on  the  earth. 

And  again  he  declared: 

It  is  much"  better  to  be  honest,  to  live  here  uprightly,  and  forsake 
and  shun  evil,  than  it  is  to  be  dishonest.  It  is  the  easiest  path  in  the 
world  to  be  honest,  to  be  upright  before  God;  and  when  people  learn 
this,  they  will  practice  it. 

Honesty  Defined 

It  is  as  one  unknown  writer  declared: 

Honesty  is  the  will  and  the  effort  to  keep  one's  agreements,  explicit 
and  tacit.  It  can  be  expressed  in  words  (veracity),  or  in  actions  such  as 
fulfilment  of  contracts  and  habits  such  as  fidelity,  loyalty  and  punctu- 
ality. 


102  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  1  Second  Dag 

Newman  Smart  declared: 

Inward  truthfulness  is  essential  to  moral  growth  and  personal  vigor. 
What  a  flaw  is  in  steel,  or  a  foreign  body  in  our  tissues,  a  falsehood  is 
to  the  character — a  source  of  weaknesses,  a  front  where  it  may  break 
under  strain. 

Honesty,  then,  after  all,  is  the  king  of  all  virtues  because  the  good 
life  presupposes  itself.  Dishonesty  cuts  the  arteries  by  which  social  life 
is  nourished.  Mutual  deceit  is  social  murder.  Self-deceit  cuts  the  blood 
vessels  of  one's  own  existence.    It  is  suicide. 

And  as  Mark  of  old  declared  to  the  early-day  Saints: 

Thou  knowest  the  commandments,  Do  not  commit  adultery,  Do  not 
kill,  Do  not  steal,  Do  not  bear  false  witness,  Defraud  not,  Honour  thy 
father  and  mother.     (Mark  10:19.) 

As  I  have  read  this  verse  of  scripture  I  wondered  why  Mark 
had  included  in  it  "Honour  thy  father  and  mother,"  and  the  thought 
came  to  me  that  any  honest  son  and  any  honest  daughter  will  honor 
father  and  mother  not  so  much  from  the  point  of  view  of  lip  service 
but  from  the  standpoint  of  being  prepared  to  help  father  and  mother 
in  any  way  possible.   That  is  honesty  in  honoring  father  and  mother. 

Example  of  Honesty 

Now,  as  Latter-day  Saints,  we  have  a  great  destiny  and  a  great 
future.  The  old  Prophet  Isaiah  declared  to  the  world  thousands 
of  years  ago  that  the  house  of  the  Lord  would  be  established  in  the 
top  of  the  mountains.  He  went  on  to  say  that  all  nations  should 
flow  unto  it,  and  men  should  be  heard  to  say, 

.  .  .Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord, 
to  the  house  of  the  God  of  Jacob;  and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways, 
and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths.     (Isaiah  2:3.) 

I  am  sure  because  of  the  fact  that  the  house  of  God  is  estab- 
lished in  the  top  of  these  mountains  where  the  prophets  of  God  are 
found,  where  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  being  preached 
to  the  world,  that  the  first  great  virtue  we  must  hold  out  to  the  world, 
if  we  are  to  set  them  the  proper  example,  is  that  of  honesty,  square 
dealing  among  ourselves,  and  with  the  world  as  a  whole. 

May  God  bless  us  and  sustain  us,  that  we  will  be  honest  with 
the  Lord,  honest  with  one  another,  honest  with  those  who  are  not  of 
our  faith,  and  I  am  sure  out  of  this  that  the  world  will  come  to  know 
us  as  the  Lord's  people  and  men  will  be  heard  to  say,  Come,  let  us 
go  up  to  the  house  of  Jacob's  God  and  learn  of  his  ways  and  walk 
in  his  paths. 

I  leave  you  my  testimony  that  this  is  the  work  of  the  Lord,  that 
a  boy  fourteen  years  of  age  saw  the  Father  and  the  Son  in  the 
wilderness;  they  actually  spoke  to  him  and  used  him  as  the  instru- 


ELDER  SCOTT  TAGGART 


103 


ment  through  whom  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  restored 
to  the  earth  in  the  last  days  for  the  salvation  of  all  the  Lord's  children. 
I  bear  you  this  testimony  in  his  holy  name.  Amen. 

ELDER  SCOTT  TAGGART 

Former  President  of  the  Swiss- Austrian  Mission 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  I  am  sure  that  this  will  be  probably 
the  most  difficult  task  of  my  experience,  if  I  were  not  sure  that  I 
enjoy  the  faith  and  prayers  of  many  of  my  friends  in  the  audience. 

Lest  I  forget,  in  the  few  minutes  allotted  to  me,  I  should  like 
now  to  express  my  gratitude,  and  that  of  my  family,  for  the  experi- 
ence that  has  been  ours  in  recent  years,  for  the  privilege  of  presiding 
over  one  of  the  missions  of  the  Church. 

We  went  to  Europe  with  other  brethren  and  their  wives,  among 
the  first  to  return  to  Europe  after  the  war.  It  was  an  interesting 
time  to  be  there,  a  difficult  time,  and  we  went  back  to  problems 
that  were  quite  new  to  mission  presidents.  These  problems,  how- 
ever, with  the  help  of  the  saints  and  with  the  help  of  the  Lord,  were 
solved,  and  we  are  glad  to  report  that  in  Switzerland  and  in  Austria, 
as  well  as  in  other  missions  which  we  were  privileged  to  visit,  a 
substantial  progress  has  been  made. 

Our  saints  think  a  very  great  deal  of  you  over  here.  Probably 
somewhere  today  they  are  in  session,  in  a  conference  session,  because 
we  usually  have  conference  in  early  October.  A  year  ago  today  we 
were  meeting  in  Vienna,  Austria,  and  I  recall  that  we  sent  greetings 
to  you  at  the  request  of  the  saints. 

They  long  so  much  to  be  among  you,  to  be  numbered  with 
the  body  of  the  Church,  not  to  be  the  small  minority  that  they  are 
over  there.  In  fact,  their  desire  to  come  here  constitutes  one  of 
the  principal  problems  confronting  our  missions.  I  think  it  is  a 
problem  with  all  the  European  missions  excepting  those  where 
conditions  are  such  that  they  cannot  get  out,  such  as  Germany.  The 
question  of  emigration  is  a  very  constant  problem  over  there.  And 
there  are  reasons  why  they  want  to  emigrate,  and  I  am  afraid  that 
many  of  them  will  not  be  denied  the  privilege  of  emigrating  and 
joining  the  body  of  the  Church.  First  of  all,  as  I  suggested,  these 
brethren  and  sisters,  want  to  belong  with  you.  They  want  to  be 
with  the  majority  of  the  Church  for  once,  and  not  a  small,  un- 
popular minority.  They  want  to  come  over  here  where  they  can 
receive  their  patriarchal  blessings. 

They  have  been  very  diligent  in  research  work,  and  they 
have  now  the  genealogical  records  of  their  ancestors.  They  want 
to  come  over  here  where  they  have  access  to  the  Temples  of  the 
Lord,  where  they  can  be  sealed  to  one  another  and  attend  to  the 
temple  work  for  their  forefathers. 


104  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.   October  1 


Second  Dili! 


They  want  to  come  over  here,  in  many  instances,  and  it  is 
always  one  of  the  reasons,  to  improve  their  economic  condition. 
I  think  it  is  a  legitimate  reason,  though  we  never  would  encourage 
them  to  come  over  here  if  that  were  the  principal  reason. 

And  again,  they  want  to  come,  brethren  and  sisters,  because 
they  want  to  get  away  from  that  constant  threat  of  war.  Switzerland 
has  seen  the  threat  of  war,  the  threat  of  invasion,  at  various  times. 
Austria  has  tasted  of  the  dread  of  war,  and  they  have  recognized 
that  war  is  an  ever-present  possibility  over  there.  The  heavens  are 
never  completely  free  of  the  clouds  of  war,  the  threat  of  war.  We 
felt  that  tension  at  times  and  felt  how  necessary  it  was  for  us  to 
enjoy  the  presence  of  the  help  of  the  Lord  in  the  conduct  of  our 
mission. 

We  want  to  say  to  you  that  your  missionaries,  your  sons 
and  daughters  who  helped  us  over  there,  have  done  a  remarkable 
work.  They  have  done  much  towards  bringing  back  members  of 
the  Church  who  have  become  indifferent.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that 
we  lost  approximately  twenty  percent  of  our  active  membership 
through  emigration,  the  attendance  has  been  higher  than  in  several 
years,  and  tithe-paying  and  fast  offerings  have  reached  an  all-time 
high  in  the  mission.  I  attribute  that  very  largely  to  the  help  of  the 
missionaries  who,  first  of  all,  visited  the  saints,  not  alone  those  who 
come  regularly  but  those  who,  for  a  time,  had  disassociated  them- 
selves from  the  Church.  Much  good  was  accomplished  as  a  re- 
sult of  that. 

It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  learn  that  President  Bringhurst 
has  been  able  to  send  missionaries  into  Austria,  something  we  had 
not  yet  accomplished  when  we  left,  and  I  know  the  enthusiasm  with 
which  those  people  in  Austria  have  received  those  missionaries.  We 
wish  we  could  be  there  to  help  them. 

We  appreciated  the  friendly  attitude  of  the  officials  generally 
and  of  the  press.  Not  at  any  time  while  we  were  in  Switzerland 
was  a  vicious  article  written  against  the  Mormons  in  the  press  of 
Switzerland.  Their  attitude  was  rather  one  of  indifference,  friendly 
indifference,  but  in  no  instance  did  they  oppose  us  openly.  The  only 
exception  to  that  was  in  one  or  two  instances  where  periodicals, 
published  by  church  organizations,  who  resented  our  presence  in 
their  communities,  wrote  the  usual  articles  against  the  Church  in 
admonishing  their  people  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  our  missionaries. 

The  officials,  generally,  were  very  kind  and  very  helpful,  and 
while  we  had  to  deal  with  individuals  and  while  we  had  to  deal 
with  red  tape  and  bureaucracy  there,  as  much  as  we  would  have  to 
at  home,  generally  speaking,  we  were  well  received  and  they  gave 
us  what  cooperation  they  could. 

I  speak,  particularly,  also  of  those  of  our  service  men  and  women 
who  are  in  Europe  or  who  have  been  in  Europe  since  the  occupation. 
It  is  hard  for  you  to  realize,  probably,  how  much  good  those  people 


ELDER  SCOTT  TAGGART 


105 


did  in  associating  themselves  with  the  saints  in  such  places  as 
Vienna,  Lizst  and  Salsburg,  Austria,  and  various  places  in  Germany, 
to  give  slight  help  and  encouragement  to  the  Saints,  and  meeting 
with  them  in  their  services,  sharing  with  them  their  testimonies. 
These  will  always  be  greatly  appreciated  by  the  people  over  there, 
and  I  want  them  to  know  if  they  should  be  in  the  audience,  and 
their  people  if  they  are  here,  that  their  work  is  appreciated;  their 
help  over  there  in  the  mission  field  is  appreciated. 

It  was  our  great  privilege  to  be  so  located  in  Europe,  at  the 
crossroads  of  Western  Europe  where  it  was  possible  from  time  to 
time  to  see  the  presidents  of  other  missions,  and  I  tell  you  it  was 
a  privilege  that  we  will  not  soon  forget,  a  privilege  of  great  value 
to  us,  to  meet  these  wonderful  men  and  women  who  are  in  charge 
of  the  missions  of  the  Church  in  Europe,  from  President  Benson 
who  was  there  first.  President  Sonne,  on  down  to  every  single  one 
whose  association  we  enjoyed  over  there  on  occasion.  They  are 
men  of  God,  they  are  diligent  workers  for  the  Church  and  they 
are  doing  a  great  good  over  there.  Our  hearts  are  with  them  though 
we  have  been  away  from  them  for  some  six  months. 

Now,  just  a  word  about  the  welfare  which  you  have  sent  over 
there.  Since  we  are  among  the  first  to  come  back  you  have  a  right 
to  know  that  your  welfare  that  you  have  given,  very  often  at  a 
sacrifice,  has  accomplished  great  good  among  the  people.  Fortunately, 
it  was  not  necessary  for  us  to  use  any  of  that  in  Switzerland,  though 
it  was  necessary  for  us  to  send  substantial  amounts  into  Austria, 
particularly  in  the  larger  cities  such  as  Vienna,  but  we  saw  it  go  into 
Germany  and  we  saw  how  it  was  distributed  there,  under  the  able 
leadership*  of  President  Wunderlich.  Practically  all  of  it  had  to  be 
distributed  in  West  Germany  because  it  was  not  possible  to  get  into 
East  Germany  behind  the  iron  curtain,  except  that  it  be  turned  over 
to  the  Russian  occupation  forces  for  them  to  distribute  as  they  saw 
fit. 

As  we  were  preparing  to  leave,  the  last  large  shipment  of  welfare 
supplies  that  had  come  was  taken  into  East  Germany  through 
Czechoslovakia.  I  say  it  has  been  distributed  through  the  able 
leadership  of  President  and  Sister  Wunderlich  and  their  helpers. 

Your  work  has  been  appreciated  and  effort  has  been  made  in 
all  the  branches  of  Europe  to  get  our  brethren  and  sisters  over, 
there  to  understand  that  that  relief,  that  welfare,  has  not  come  to  them 
from  your  surplus,  but  that  in  very  many  instances  it  represents  an 
actual  sacrifice  on  your  part.  We  tried  to  get  them  to  understand 
that  and  to  appreciate  it.  We  reminded  them  that  in  many  instances, 
some  of  them  were  better  off  than  some  of  the  men  and  women  who 
contributed  to  their  welfare. 

We  admire  and  love  the  saints  in  Switzerland  and  Austria  very 
much.  Occasionally  we  heard  the  complaint  that  they  were  second 
class  members  of  the  Church,  but  brethren  and  sisters,  let  me 


106  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday .  October  1 


Second  Day 


assure  you  that  they  are  not,  by  any  interpretation  of  the  word, 
second  class  members  of  our  Church.  What  they  meant  by  that 
was  that  they  were  deprived  of  access  to  the  temples  of  the  Lord. 
They  were  deprived  of  the  privilege  of  having  their  patriarchal 
blessings,  of  doing  their  own  temple  work,  of  being  members  with 
you  of  the  body,  the  majority  of  the  Church,  but  they  are  true  and 
faithful  members,  and  only  those  could  be  classed  as  second  class 
members  who  have  made  themselves  second  class,  as  some  of  us 
over  here  do,  by  failure  to  live  up  to  the  standards  and  precepts  of 
the  Church. 

The  mission  is  in  good  hands  in  the  hands  of  President  and 
Sister  Bringhurst.  We  have  every  confidence  that  the  mission 
will  continue  to  progress  and  develop.  They  have  able  leaders, 
every  single  branch  in  Switzerland  and  Austria  was  under  the 
leadership  of  local  brethren,  and  every  organization,  every  auxiliary 
organization  had  its  local  leadership,  so  that  our  missionaries  were 
left  free  to  preach  the  gospel.    They  all  did  a  splendid  job. 

We  are  most  appreciative  of  the  opportunity  we  had  of  serv- 
ing and  we  do  hope  that  our  influence  will  have  been  felt  for 
good  wherever  we  went.  We  appreciate  the  cooperation  we  had 
from  officials,  both  the  Swiss  and  the  occupation  authorities  repre- 
senting our  government.  Without  exception  they  were  helpful  and 
kind  to  us. 

Now,  in  closing,  I  should  like  to  call  attention  to  the  writer, 
O.  Henry.  On  his  deathbed,  O.  Henry  was  reported  to  have  re- 
quested that  his  bed  would  be  moved  close  to  the  window.  He 
remarked:  "I  don't  want  to  go  home  in  the  dark." 

I  think  that  is  why  we  are  here  today,  brethren  and  sisters,  we 
are  seeking  light  today.  We  do  not  want  to  anticipate  a  future  in 
darkness,  and  today  we  are  receiving  from  the  mouths  of  these 
General  Authorities,  the  light  which  will  make  life  pleasant  for 
us,  which  will  make  life  safe  for  us,  which  will  make  the  future 
more  secure. 

And  then  to  repeat  a  part  of  a  prayer  which  was  given  in  the 
United  States  Senate:  "Help  us  Lord  to  do  what  is  right  when  we 
want  to  but  do  not  know  what  is  right,  but  help  us  especially, 
Lord,  to  do  what  is  right  when  we  know  very  well  what  it  is  and 
don't  want  to  do  it." 

Now,  my  prayer,  brethren  and  sisters,  is  that  we  will  adhere 
strictly  and  closely  to  the  admonitions  of  these  great  leaders  of 
ours.  There  will  be  times  when  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  will  not 
be  with  us,  when  we  cannot  count  upon  its  accompaniment,  be- 
cause of  our  own  faults,  because  of  the  nature  of  our  own  lives.  We 
are  safe  in  depending  upon  the  leadership  and  the  guidance  of  these 
men  who  live  close  to  him,  and  who  do  appreciate  and  who  do 
enjoy  his  constant  presence.  And  that  we  may  do  that  is  my 
prayer,  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Amen. 


PRESIDENT  ].  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR.  107 


PRESIDENT  J.  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR. 

First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

The  time  has  come  when  I  shall  make  a  few  remarks  to  this  con- 
ference, and  I  trust  that  while  I  stand  before  you  the  Lord  will  bless 
me,  for  I  need  his  blessing,  and  I  hope  that  you  who  are  here  and  that 
you  who  are  listening  in  and  you  who  are  seeing  our  services  will  add 
your  prayers  to  mine. 

Observance  of  Sabbath 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Church,  indeed  before  the  Church  was 
organized,  the  Lord  on  more  than  one  occasion  told  the  Prophet  and 
those  working  with  him  that  they  were  to  cry  repentance  to  the 
people.  At  last  he  commanded  them  that  when  they  preached  they 
should  preach  not  of  tenets,  but  cry  nothing  but  repentance  unto  this 
generation. 

I  assume  that  that  imposes  upon  us  who  stand  in  responsible 
positions  of  leadership  in  the  Church,  the  obligation  to  speak  of 
things  that  involve  the  need  of  repentance,  and  I  thought  today,  in 
the  few  moments  that  I  shall  stand  before  you  that  I  would  talk  about 
the  Sabbath. 

I  am  going  to  read  a  good  part  of  what  I  say  from  the  revelations 
of  the  Lord,  so  that  you  will  understand  that  the  words  I  speak  are 
not  my  words;  they  are  the  words  of  the  Lord. 

Instructions  at  Sinai 

At  Sinai  you  will  recall  the  Lord  said: 

Remember  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy. 
Six  days  shalt  thou  labour,  and  do  all  thy  work: 

But  the  seventh  day  is  the  sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God:  in  it  thou 
shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy  man- 
servant, nor  thy  maidservant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is 
within  thy  gates: 

For  in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all 
that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day:  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed 
the  sabbath  day,  and  hallowed  it.  (Ex.  20:8-11.) 

Before  coming  to  the  modern  revelation,  I  should  like  to  say  that 
ancient  Israel  found  that  one  of  its  most  difficult  commandments  to 
observe  was  that  of  remembering  the  Sabbath  day.  After  they  were 
led  into  captivity,  they  were  among  a  people  who  knew  not  the  Sab- 
bath which  they  knew,  and  very  soon  they  began  to  partake,  as  we 
are  partaking  (and  let  me  say  it  is  amazing  how  we  follow  round  the 
clock  of  earlier  peoples  in  our  wanderings,  or  beginning  of  wander- 
ings from  the  early  tenets  as  they  were  taught  to  us)  of  the  sins  of 
those  among  whom  they  lived.  It  came  to  be,  as  it  is  with  us,  that  not 
alone  was  the  matter  one  of  laboring  on  the  Sabbath,  but  it  was  also 


108  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  1 


Second  Day 


one  of  recreation  on  the  Sabbath.  So  rather  trivial  regulations  (as 
they  seem  to  us)  were  made  by  captive  Israel  in  order  to  prevent 
ancient  Israel  from  breaking  the  Sabbath. 

Time  for  Recreation 

Now  on  this  question  of  recreation,  which  I  may  return  to  again 
if  I  have  time,  I  should  like  to  say  that  there  is  not  much  excuse  for 
most  of  us  now  to  resort  to  the  Sabbath  for  recreation.  Those  who 
labor  have  a  forty  hour  week,  which  means  that  they  have  Saturdays 
off.  They  have  an  eight-hour  day,  which  gives  them  quite  a  lot  of 
time  either  in  the  morning  or  in  the  evening,  and  there  is  no  need 
whatsoever  to  resort  to  the  Sabbath  day  for  recreation.  There  is  an 
abundance  of  recreation  time  during  the  week. 

Modern  Revelation  on  Sabbath 

On  August  7,  1831,  the  Lord  gave  to  the  Prophet,  then  in  Jack- 
son County,  Missouri,  a  revelation  which  included  directions  about 
observing  the  Sabbath.  I  am  reading  from  Section  59. 

"And  that  thou  mayest  more  fully  keep  thyself  unspotted  from 
the  world,"  that  is  what  the  Lord  said  way  back  yonder, — "that  thou 
mayest  more  fully  keep  thyself  unspotted  from  the  world," — that  is 
as  true  today  as  it  was  when  the  Lord  spoke  it,  for  our  breaches  of 
the  Sabbath  "spot"  us  with  the  transgression  of  the  world — "thou 
shalt  go  to  the  house  of  prayer  and  offer  up  thy  sacraments  upon  my 
holy  day."  I  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  this  meeting  in  the 
house  of  prayer  is  the  only  assembly  which  the  Lord  authorizes  on 
the  Sabbath  day.  We  are  to  go  to  the  house  of  prayer  and  "offer 
up  thy  sacraments  upon  my  holy  day." 

For  verily  this  is  a  day  appointed  unto  you  to  rest  from  your  labors, 
and  to  pay  thy  devotions  unto  the  Most  High; 

Nevertheless  thy  vows  shall  be  offered  up  in  righteousness  on  all  days 
and  at  all  times; 

But  remember  that  on  this,  the  Lord's  day,  thou  shalt  offer  thine 
oblations  and  thy  sacraments  unto  the  Most  High,  confessing  thy  sins 
unto  thy  brethren,  and  before  the  Lord. 

And  on  this  day  thou  shalt  do  none  other  thing,  only  let  thy  food 
be  prepared  with  singleness  of  heart  that  thy  fasting  may  be  perfect,  or, 
in  other  words,  that  thy  joy  may  be  full.  .  .  . 

And  inasmuch  as  ye  do  these  things  with  thanksgiving,  with  cheerful 
hearts  and  countenances,  not  with  much  laughter,  for  this  is  sin,  but 
with  a  glad  heart  and  a  cheerful  countenance — 

Verily  I  say,  that  inasmuch  as  ye  do  this,  the  fulness  of  the  earth 
is  yours,  the  beasts  of  the  field  and  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  that  which 
climbeth  upon  the  trees  and  walketh  upon  the  earth; 

Yea,  and  the  herb,  and  the  good  things  which  come  of  the  earth, 
whether  for  food  or  for  raiment,  or  for  houses,  or  for  barns,  or  for 
orchards,  or  for  gardens,  or  for  vineyards.  .  .  . 

And  it  pleaseth  God  that  he  hath  given  all  these  things  unto  man;  for 
unto  this  end  were  they  made  to  be  used,  with  judgment,  not  to  excess, 
neither  by  extortion. 


PRESIDENT  ].  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR. 


109 


And  in  nothing  doth  man  offend  God.  or  against  none  is  his  wrath 
kindled,  save  those  who  confess  not  his  hand  in  all  things,  and  obey 
not  his  commandments.  .  .  . 

But  learn  that  he  who  doeth  the  works  of  righteousness  shall 
receive  his  reward,  even  peace  in  this  world,  and  eternal  life  in  the 
world  to  come. 

I,  the  Lord,  have  spoken  it,  and  the  Spirit  beareth  record.  Amen. 
(D.  &  C.  59:9-13,  15-17,  20-21,  23-24.) 

Further  Instructions 

In  November  1831,  at  Hiram,  Ohio,  in  the  great  revelation  deal- 
ing with  many  other  things,  the  Lord  referred  to  the  Sabbath  again. 
I  am  reading  from  Section  68: 

And  the  inhabitants  of  Zion  shall  also  observe  the  Sabbath  day  to 
keep  it  holy. 

And  the  inhabitants  of  Zion  also  shall  remember  their  labors, 
inasmuch  as  they  are  appointed  to  labor,  in  all  faithfulness;  for  the 
idler  shall  be  had  in  remembrance  before  the  Lord. 

Now,  I,  the  Lord,  am  not  well  pleased  with  the  inhabitants  of 
Zion,  for  there  are  idlers  among  them;  and  their  children  are  also  growing 
up  in  wickedness;  they  also  seek  not  earnestly  the  riches  of  eternity, 
but  their  eyes  are  full  of  greediness. 

These  things  ought  not  to  be,  and  must  be  done  away  from  among 
them;  wherefore,  let  my  servant  Oliver  Cowdery  carry  these  sayings 
unto  the  land  of  Zion. 

And  a  commandment  I  give  unto  them — that  he  that  observeth  not 
his  prayers  before  the  Lord  in  the  season  thereof,  let  him  be  had  in 
remembrance  before  the  judge  of  my  people. 

These  sayings  are  true  and  faithful;  wherefore,  transgress  them 
not,  neither  take  therefrom. 

Behold,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  and  I  come  quickly.  Amen. 
(D.  &  C.  68:29-35.) 

In  a  revelation  given  to  the  Prophet  on  December  27,  1832,  I 
am  reading  from  Section  88,  the  Lord  said: 

And  as  all  have  not  faith,  seek  ye  diligently  and  teach  one  another 
words  of  wisdom;  yea,  seek  ye  out  of  the  best  books  words  of  wisdom; 
seek  learning,  even  by  study  and  also  by  faith. 

Organize  yourselves;  prepare  every  needful  thing;  and  establish  a 
house,  even  a  house  of  prayer,  a  house  of  fasting,  a  house  of  faith,  a 
house  of  learning,  a  house  of  glory,  a  house  of  order,  a  house  of  God; 

That  your  incomings  may  be  in  the  name  of  the  Lord;  that  your 
outgoings  may  be  in  the  name  of  the  Lord;  that  all  your  salutations  may 
be  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  with  uplifted  hands  unto  the  Most  High. 

Therefore,  cease  from  all  your  light  speeches,  from  all  laughter, 
from  all  your  lustful  desires,  from  all  your  pride  and  light-mindedness, 
and  from  all  your  wicked  doings.    (D.  &  C.  88:118-121.) 

On  another  occasion  the  Lord  said  to  the  Prophet,  and  I  am 
reading  from  Section  90,  given  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  March  8,  1833: 

And  set  in  order  the  churches,  and  study  and  learn,  and  become 
acquainted  with  all  good  books,  and  with  languages,  tongues,  and 
people.     (D.  &  C.  90:15.) 


110  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,   October  1 


Second  Dai) 


And  at  Winter  Quarters,  President  Brigham  Young  declared 
"The  Word  and  Will  of  the  Lord": 

Let  him  that  is  ignorant  learn  wisdom  by  humbling  himself  and 
calling  upon  the  Lord  his  God,  that  his  eyes  may  be  opened  that  he  may 
see,  and  his  ears  opened  that  he  may  hear; 

For  my  Spirit  is  sent  forth  into  the  world  to  enlighten  the  humble 
and  contrite,  and  to  the  condemnation  of  the  ungodly.  (D.  &  C.  136: 
32-33.) 

I  have  read  these  commandments  regarding  what  should  be 
done  and  what  might  be  done  on  the  Sabbath,  and  I  have  noted  that 
the  Lord  told  them  to  build  a  house  of  prayer  into  which  they  should 
go  to  learn  the  things  which  I  have  read  to  you. 

Activities  at  Home  and  Abroad 

Now,  the  ancient  Israelites,  as  I  have  already  told  you,  had  a 
great  many  rules  and  regulations  regarding  what  they  might  do  on 
the  Sabbath  day.  They  found  it  necessary  to  draw  distinctions 
between  what  they  might  do  in  their  homes  and  what  they  might  do 
when  they  were  abroad. 

This  raised  difficulties.  So  in  order  to  give  a  little  more  scope 
to  their  home  activities,  they  made  a  rule,  a  regulation,  that  if  they 
were  in  a  street  that  was  a  cul-de-sac  (closed  at  one  end),  each 
household  along  the  street  would  contribute  a  handful  of  meal,  and 
out  of  this  meal  they  would  make  a  cake,  and  then  they  would  hang 
up  this  cake  at  the  end,  the  open  end  of  the  street,  and  thus  all  the 
street  became  part  of  the  household  of  this  whole  group.  If  the 
street  was  open,  they  did  the  same  thing  by  hanging  a  cake  at  each 
end  of  the  street  where  they  lived. 

My  reason  for  making  that  explanation  is  that  I  think  there  is 
a  difference  between  what  we  may  do  in  our  homes  and  what  we 
may  go  abroad  to  do. 

The  Lord  has  told  us  what  we  may  do  in  the  house  of  prayer, 
and  what  we  may  do  in  the  house  of  prayer  we  may  do,  I  take  it,  in 
our  homes.  We  may  seek  learning.  We  may  read  good  books.  We 
may  acquaint  ourselves  with  languages,  tongues,  and  people. 

I  call  your  attention  again  to  the  fact  that  the  only  places  of 
gathering  to  which  we  are  authorized  to  go,  the  only  gatherings  we 
are  authorized  to  attend,  are  the  meetings  in  the  house  of  prayer. 
No  other  gathering  is  authorized  on  the  Sabbath. 

I  think  we  may  listen  to  good  music  in  the  home.  I  do  not  think 
we  may  go  joy  riding,  nor  to  beach  parties,  nor  on  picnics!  Nowa- 
days, as  this  conference  is  witnessing  throughout  this  valley  and  in 
adjacent  areas,  you  may  have  what  we  may  call  movies  right  in 
your  home.  We  shall  have  them  tomorrow,  Sunday.  I  think  there 
is  a  great  difference  between  looking  at  a  good  movie  in  your  home 
and  going  to  a  movie  house,  a  very  great  difference.  But  the  home 
movies  we  look  at  should  be  of  a  kind  that  teach  things  specified  in 
the  revelations  as  in  order  in  the  house  of  prayer. 


PRESIDENT  J.  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR.  Ill 


Some  of  you  are  using  in  your  Sunday  Schools  visual  aids  which 
in  fact  are  frequently  only  movies.  But  their  character  should  be 
carefully  guarded,  and  I  am  sure  they  will  be,  that  nothing  be  shown 
that  does  not  contribute  to  the  learning  we  may  get  in  the  house  of 
prayer,  for  in  Sunday  School  you  are  in  the  house  of  prayer.  You 
will  then  be  gaining  the  knowledge  which  the  Lord  said  should  be 
gained  in  the  house  of  prayer.  But  that  gives  you  no  license  to  go  to 
commercial  movies  on  Sunday,  because  we  are  not  authorized  to  go 
to  such  gatherings.  I  think  there  is  a  sharp  distinction  in  this  matter. 

Horse  Racing 

Of  course,  I  do  not  suppose  there  is  any  need  of  my  even  men- 
tioning, though  perhaps  it  might  be  well  for  me  to  mention,  that  horse 
racing  on  Sunday  is  not  a  proper  place  for  a  Latter-day  Saint  to  be. 
They  have  a  good  deal  of  it,  they  tell  me,  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  state.  I  have  been  in  touch  with  some  of  the  officers  and  know 
how  difficult  they  think  it  is  to  handle.  If  you  Latter-day  Saints  can- 
not stay  away  from  horse  racing  and  betting  on  Sunday,  I  am  not 
sure  how  much  the  Lord  is  going  to  listen  to  your  prayers  about  some 
other  things  that  you  very  much  desire.  Of  course,  we  may  not 
gamble  at  any  time  or  in  any  place. 

Now.  I  am  merely  making  some  suggestions  to  you  as  to  what 
I  think  are  sharp  lines  of  distinction.  I  think  you  may  do  anything 
in  your  home  on  Sunday  or  in  the  house  of  prayer  on  Sunday  which 
the  Lord  has  said  you  might  do,  and  the  words  of  the  Lord  in  the 
revelations  to  which  I  have  referred  will  tell  you  what  you  may  do 
in  the  house  of  prayer. 

Blessings  of  Sabbath  Observance 

Now,  may  the  Lord  help  us  to  observe  the  Sabbath  day  and 
keep  it  holy,  because,  as  I  read  to  you  at  the  very  beginning,  this 
commandment  regarding  the  Sabbath  was  given,  among  other  reasons, 
"that  thou  mayest  more  fully  keep  thyself  unspotted  from  the  world." 

And  then  there  follow  along  in  that  same  revelation  all  the  things 
which  the  Lord  has  given  to  us  from  the  earth,  and  to  me  those  things 
are  recited  by  the  Lord  as  showing  what  we  are  entitled  to  if  we  keep 
the  Sabbath. 

May  the  Lord  help  us  keep  the  Sabbath  I  humbly  pray,  adding 
my  testimony  to  those  that  have  been  borne  regarding  the  truth  of 
this  great  work,  the  divinity  of  the  mission  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  sonship 
of  Jesus,  that  we  have  the  restored  gospel  and  the  restored  priesthood. 
That  the  Lord  will  bless  us,  I  humbly  pray,  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 
Amen. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.: 

The  members  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  will  sing  as  the  closing 
song,  "Behold  A  Host  Arrayed  in  White." 


112  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  1 


Second  Day 


The  closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  E.  Francis 
Winters  of  Star  Valley  Stake,  Wyoming,  after  which  this  confer- 
ence will  stand  adjourned  until  7  o'clock  this  evening,  when,  in 
accordance  with  the  custom  of  the  Church,  the  general  meeting  of 
the  Priesthood  of  the  Church  will  be  held  in  this  building.  Only 
the  Priesthood  are  invited  to  be  present.  Persons  not  holding  the 
Priesthood  will  kindly  refrain  from  attempting  to  enter  the  building. 
That  session  will  not  be  broadcast. 

The  session  at  10  o'clock  tomorrow  morning  will  be  broadcast 
over  KSL  at  Salt  Lake  City  and  by  arrangement  through  KSL  over 
the  various  stations  to  which  you  are  listening.  That  session  will 
also  be  televised  over  the  KSL  television  station,  channel  5. 

Because  the  Tabernacle  Broadcast  comes  from  9:30  to  10  o'clock 
tomorrow  morning,  those  desiring  to  attend  the  broadcast  must  be 
in  their  seats  by  9:15.  As  the  choir  may  be  rehearsing  during  the 
time  the  audience  is  gathering  it  is  necessary  to  request  that  the 
audience  come  in  and  take  their  seats  quietly  and  refrain  from  making 
any  disturbing  noise  of  any  kind  during  the  broadcast. 

I  should  like  to  say  to  Brother  Cornwall  that  if  the  day  is  in- 
clement I  hope  that  he  will  let  the  people  in  from  the  outside  as 
early  as  possible. 

The  regular  session  of  conference  will  begin  at  10  a.m. 

Any  important  messages  and  calls  that  may  have  come  to  us 
for  persons  supposed  to  be  in  attendance  at  the  conference  will  be 
announced  at  the  dismissal  of  this  meeting  over  the  loud-speaking 
system  on  the  grounds.  Everyone  would  do  well  to  listen  carefully 
to  such  announcements. 

The  singing  this  afternoon  has  been  by  members  of  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  meeting  the  general  sessions  of  con- 
ference will  be  adjourned  until  10  o'clock  tomorrow  morning,  Sun- 
day, October  2,  remembering  the  Priesthood  meeting  tonight  at  7 
o'clock. 

The  Choir  will  now  eing,  "Behold  A  Host  Arrayed  in  White." 


The  Choir  sang,  "Behold  A  Host  Arrayed  in  White."  The 
benediction  was  offered  by  President  E.  Francis  Winters  of  the 
Star  Valley  Stake. 


CHOIR  AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST 


113 


THIRD  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 

Sunday  morning,  October  2,  1949. 

Long  before  time  to  commence  the  Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ 
Broadcast,  at  9:30  a.m.  the  great  Tabernacle,  auditorium  and  galleries, 
was  crowded  to  capacity,  as  also  the  Assembly  Hall  directly  south  of 
the  Tabernacle,  and  hundreds  if  not  thousands  of  people  assembled 
on  the  grounds,  amplifying  equipment  having  been  installed  so  that 
all  could  listen  to  the  proceedings  as  they  were  broadcast  from  the 
Tabernacle.  Those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  find  seats  in  the 
Assembly  Hall  could  both  see  and  hear  the  services  by  means  of  tele- 
vision. 

President  George  Albert  Smith  presided  and  conducted  the  meet- 
ing. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  furnished  the  choir  singing  for  this  service. 

CHOIR  AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST 

Preliminary  to  the  commencement  of  the  Sunday  morning  session 
of  the  General  Conference,  which  convened  at  10  o'clock  a.m.,  the 
regular  Sunday  morning  Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  broadcast 
was  presented  from  9:30  to  10:00. 

This  broadcast,  which  was  presented  through  the  courtesy  and 
facilities  of  the  Columbia  Broadcasting  System's  coast-to-coast  net- 
work, throughout  the  United  States,  was  written  and  announced 
by  Richard  L.  Evans  and  originated  with  Station  KSL,  Salt  Lake 
City.    It  was  as  follows: 

(Organ  began  playing  "As  the  Dew"  and  on  signal  the  organ 
and  choir  broke  into  "Gently  Raise,"  singing  words  to  end  of  second 
line,  and  humming  to  end  of  verse  for  announcer's  background. ) 

Announcer:  Once  more  we  welcome  you  within  these  walls 
with  music  and  the  spoken  word  from  the  Crossroads  of  the  West. 

The  Columbia  Broadcasting  System  and  its  affiliated  stations 
bring  you  at  this  hour  another  presentation  from  Temple  Square 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  with  J.  Spencer  Cornwall  conducting  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir,  Frank  W.  Asper,  Tabernacle  Organist,  and  the  spoken 
word  by  Richard  Evans. 

We  open  with  the  quiet  conviction  of  Alfred  Tennyson's  "Cross- 
ing the  Bar"  sung  to  the  music  of  Henry  Holden  Huss:  "...  when 
that  which  drew  from  out  the  boundless  deep,  .  .  .  turns  again  home." 

(Choir  sang  "Crossing  the  Barr" — Huss)  (Organ  background) 

Announcer:  With  Dr.  Asper  at  the  Tabernacle  Organ  today 
we  turn  to  one  of  the  writings  of  Karg-Elert — a  majestic  march 
movement  written  around  a  theme  of  thanksgiving:  "Now  Thank 
We  All  Our  God." 

(Organ  presented  "Now  Thank  We  All  Our  God" — Karg- 
Elert) 


114 

Sunday,  October  2 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 


Announcer  :  The  Men's  Chorus  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  recalls 
a  hymn  by  O.  P.  Huish  as  arranged  by  Mr.  Cornwall:  "Jesus,  My 
Savior  True,  Guide  Me  to  Thee." 

(Men's  Chorus  sang  "Guide  Me  to  Thee" — Huish) 

Announcer:  Dr.  Asper  next  presents  a  light  and  lovely  im- 
pression from  the  pen  of  Ralph  Kinder:  "In  Springtime." 

(Organ  presented  "In  Springtime" — Kinder) 

Announcer:  The  choir  continues  from  Temple  Square  with 
a  worshipful  utterance  by  L.  Stanley  Glarum,  with  text  taken  from 
Psalm  47:  "Sing  Praises  Unto  Our  King,  for  God  is  King  o'er  All 
the  Earth." 

(Choir  presented  "Sing  Praises" — Glarum)  (Organ  back- 
ground) 

Announcer:  There  is  a  lesson  sooner  or  later  learned  by  almost 
all  of  us,  and  that  is  that  there  are  some  things  we  have  to  leave 
to  time.  If  we  were  to  call  for  self-confession,  we  might  well  have 
a  large  showing  of  hands  from  those  who  have  sometime  planted 
seeds  but  who  couldn't  wait  for  shoots  to  show  above  the  surface 
and  so  have  dug  them  up  to  see  what  they  were  doing.  But  we 
can't  dig  up  the  seed  and  have  a  harvest  or  break  open  a  bud  and 
have  a  flower.  We  have  to  leave  some  things  to  time.  When  some- 
one is  confined  with  illness  or  injury,  his  first  question  is,  "How 
long  will  it  be?"  The  seasoned  physician  will  sometimes  say,  "A 
few  days,"  when  he  knows  full  well  it  will  likely  be  much  longer, 
but  he  tries  to  fit  the  forecast  to  the  endurance  of  the  man  who  is 
down.  We  can  help  the  healing  process;  but,  despite  the  pressure 
of  our  impatience,  there  is  much  we  have  to  leave  to  time.  Sometimes 
we  see  someone  who  seems  to  be  "getting  away  with  something" 
without  prevention  or  punishment,  and  we  may  feel  that  justice  is 
unreasonably  slow  as  well  as  blind.  But  time  overtakes  all  offenses 
and  offenders — sometimes  sooner  than  we  suppose.  Sometimes  we 
see  people  we  are  impatient  to  improve.  But  we  can't  force  the 
minds  of  men.  We  can  teach,  persuade,  and  persevere,  and  set 
before  them  a  convincing  example — and  leave  the  rest  to  time.  Of 
course  we  can't  leave  everything  to  time.  We  can't  condone  com- 
placency. We  must  actively  oppose  the  intrusion  of  every  evil. 
We  must  earnestly  be  about  our  business  and  be  anxiously  engaged 
in  a  good  cause.  We  must  plant  when  it  is  time  for  planting  or  we 
shall  have  no  harvest.  But  having  done  the  best  we  can  do,  we  must 
learn  to  leave  what  we  can't  do  to  the  growing,  developing,  mending, 
mellowing  process  of  time.  And  if  we  have  faith  enough,  patience 
enough,  perseverence  enough,  time  will  work  many  wonders.  It 
will  reveal  truth  and  discredit  untruth.  It  will  silence  slander. 
It  will  soften  many  sorrows.  It  will  heal  many  wounds — wounds  of 
the  flesh,  of  the  heart,  of  the  mind  and  of  the  spirit.  It  will  right 
many  wrongs.  It  will  bring  compensation,  retribution,  vindication. 
And  even  if  in  our  time  we  don't  find  all  the  answers,  immortal  men 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  115 


can  afford  to  have  faith  in  the  limitless  future — if  we  do  each  day 
what  can  and  should  be  done  and  leave  to  time  what  time  alone  can 
do. 

(Without  announcement  choir  sang  "Come,  Thou  Fount  of 
Every  Blessing" — Wyeth)  (Organ  background) 

Announcer:  We  have  heard  the  choir  recall  a  hymn  with  words 
by  Robert  Robinson  and  music  by  John  Wyeth:  "Come,  Thou  Fount 
of  Every  Blessing." 

And  now  from  the  organ  we  hear  the  fervent  phrases  of  a  hymn 
melody  by  A.  C.  Smyth:  "Come  Thou  Glorious  Day  of  Promise." 

(Organ  presented  "Come  Thou  Glorious  Day  of  Promise" — 
Smyth)  (Organ  background) 

Announcer:  With  the  words  of  a  fifth  century  hymn  and  the 
music  of  T.  Tertius  Noble,  we  recall  the  New  Testament  account 
of  the  calming  of  the  troubled  waters:  "And  there  arose  a  great 
storm  of  wind,  and  the  waves  beat  into  the  ship  .  .  .  and  they  awake 
him,  and  say  unto  him,  Master,  carest  thou  not  that  we  perish? 
And  he  arose,  and  rebuked  the  wind,  and  said  unto  the  sea,  Peace, 
be  still.  And  the  wind  ceased,  and  there  was  a  great  calm.  And  he 
said  unto  them,  Why  are  ye  so  fearful?  How  is  it  that  ye  have  no 
faith?  (Mark  4:37-41)  "Fierce  was  the  wild  billow,  dark  was 
the  night,  .  .  .  trembled  the  mariners,  peril  was  nigh;  then  saith  the 
Light  of  Light;  'Peace!  It  is  I!  .  .  .  Jesu,  deliver,  come  thou  to  me, 
soothe  thou  my  voy'ging  over  life's  sea;  thou,  when  the  storm  of 
Death  roars  sweeping  by,  whisper,  O  Truth  of  Truth,  'Peace,  It  is 
I!" 

(Choir  sang  "Fierce  was  the  Wild  Billow" — Noble) 
(Organ  played   "As  the  Dew") 

Announcer:  Once  more  we  leave  you  within  the  shadows  of 
the  everlasting  hills.  May  peace  be  with  you,  this  day — and  al- 
ways. 

This  concludes  the  one  thousand  and  fiftieth  presentation  con- 
tinuing the  21st  year  of  this  traditional  broadcast  from  the  Mormon 
Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square,  brought  to  you  by  the  Columbia 
Network  and  its  affiliated  stations,  originating  with  Radio  Station 
KSL  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

J.  Spencer  Cornwall  conducted  the  singing  of  the  Tabernacle 
Choir.  Frank  W.  Asper  was  at  the  organ.  The  spoken  word  by 
Richard  Evans. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

This  is  the  fifth  session  of  the  120th  semi-annual  conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  con- 
vened in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake  City.  The 
house  is  crowded  to  capacity. 


116  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Dai, 


Of  the  General  Authorities  all  are  present  except  Elder  Alma 
Sonne  of  the  Assistants  to  the  Twelve;  he  is  in  Europe  in  charge  of 
the  European  Mission.  Elder  Thomas  E.  McKay,  also  of  the 
Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  is  at  home  convalescing  by  direction  of 
his  physicians.  President  S.  Dilworth  Young  of  the  First  Council  of 
Seventy  is  in  New  England  in  charge  of  that  mission. 

These  services  will  be  broadcast  in  the  Assembly  Hall  over  a 
loud-speaking  system  and  by  television.  The  proceedings  of  this 
session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  by  ar- 
rangement through  KSL  over  the  following  stations:  KEYY  at 
Pocatello,  KVNU  at  Logan,  KSUB  at  Cedar  City,  KSVC  at  Rich- 
field, KJM  at  Vernal,  KID  at  Idaho  Falls,  and  KGEM  at  Boise. 

They  will  also  be  televised  over  the  KSL  television  station, 
channel  5. 

Any  important  messages  and  calls  that  come  to  us  for  persons 
supposed  to  be  in  attendance  at  the  conference  will  be  announced 
at  the  dismissal  of  this  meeting  over  the  loud-speaking  system  on  the 
grounds.  Everyone  would  do  well  to  listen  carefully  to  such  an- 
nouncements. 

The  choir  singing  for  today's  sessions  of  the  conference  will 
be  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir,  Elder  J.  Spencer  Cornwall  conducting, 
and  with  Elder  Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ  for  the  morning  ses- 
sion, and  Elder  Alexander  Schreiner  for  the  afternoon  session. 

We  will  begin  the  services  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir  and  con- 
gregation singing,  "How  Firm  a  Foundation."  It  is  suggested  that 
all  you  Latter-day  Saints  who  know  that  hymn  keep  it  in  mind 
and  help  the  Choir.  They  do  not  need  our  help  but  I  think  we 
should  do  our  part  when  we  have  an  opportunity  to  sing  an  occasional 
hymn. 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Delbert  L. 
Stapley  of  the  Phoenix  Stake,  Arizona. 

Singing  by  the  Choir  and  the  congregation,  "How  Firm  a 
Foundation." 

The  opening  prayer  was  offered  by  President  Delbert  L.  Stapley 
of  the  Phoenix  Stake. 

Singing  by  the  Choir,  "Praise  for  Peace." 

PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 

Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

It  is  always  more  or  less  an  ordeal  for  me  to  face  an  audience, 
and  particularly  a  congregation  in  this  historic  Tabernacle.  I've  been 
in  hopes  for  years  that  I  would  outgrow  that  feeling,  but  I  still  think, 
study,  and  pray  in  anticipation;  I  tremble  as  I  stand  before  you  with 
the  sense  of  inadequacy  to  give  a  timely  message  as  it  should  be 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY  117 


given;  and  after  it's  over,  worry  in  self-reproachment  for  having 
failed  to  do  justice  to  the  cause.  I  suppose  you  brethren  have  all 
sensed  these  same  feelings;  so  I  ask  for  your  sympathy,  your  help 
this  morning.  I  particularly  pray  for  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Teach  All  Nations 
Said  the  Savior  to  his  Apostles: 

Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost: 

Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you:  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world. 
(Matthew  28:19-20.) 

Nearly  every  member  of  the  Church  understands  that  there  are 
two  general  ecclesiastical  divisions  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ: 
one  made  up  of  the  organized  stakes  and  wards;  the  other,  of  the 
missionary  work. 

It  is  of  this  second  division  I  wish  to  speak  this  morning. 
Many  of  us  fail  to  realize  the  value  and  potent  possibilities  of 
this  great  branch  of  Church  activity. 

1 .  — As  an  example  of  voluntary  service  in  the  cause  of  the 
Master,  it  is  unexcelled. 

2.  — As  an  incentive  to  clean  living  among  youth,  as  a  contribut- 
ing factor  to  character  building,  its  influence  is  immeasurable. 

3.  — As  an  educative  force  and  uplifting  influence  upon  our  com- 
munities, its  effect  is  clearly  manifest. 

4.  — As  a  contributing  factor  to  a  better  understanding  among 
nations,  and  to  the  establishing  of  international  friendship,  it  wields 
a  significant  influence. 

5.  — As  it  is  the  purpose  of  the  Almighty  to  save  the  individual, 
not  to  make  him  a  mere  cog  in  the  machinery  of  the  state,  the  mis- 
sionary service  works  most  harmoniously  in  the  consummation  of  this 
eternal  plan! 

Remember  the  worth  of -souls  is  great  in  the  sight  of  God;  .  .  . 

And  if  it  so  be  that  you  should  labor  all  your  days  in  crying  re- 
pentance unto  this  people,  and  bring,  save  it  be  one  soul  unto  me,  how 
great  shall  be  your  joy  with  him  in  the  kingdom  of  my  Father! 

And  now,  if  your  joy  will  be  great  with  one  soul  that  you  have 
brought  unto  me  into  the  kingdom  of  my  Father,  how  great  will  be  your 
joy  if  you  should  bring  many  souls  unto  me!    (D.  &  C.  18:10,  15-16.) 

Number  of  Missionaries 

Its  importance,  significance,  and  magnitude  may  be  glimpsed 
when  I  tell  you  that  the  total  number  of  missionaries  assigned  by  the 
First  Presidency,  now  actively  engaged  in  missionary  work,  has 
reached  5001.  At  the  next  official  meeting  of  the  Missionary  Appoint- 


118  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2 


Third  Day 


ment  Committee,  undoubtedly  there  will  be  assigned  fifty  or  sixty 
additional  missionaries  whom  bishops  and  stake  presidencies  have 
recommended. 

In  addition  to  these,  there  are  between  1200  and  1500  mission- 
aries assigned  by  mission  presidents,  a  number  of  whom  are  devoting 
all  their  time  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  in  the  missions,  and 
others  working  part  time,  making  a  total  of  approximately  6500 
missionaries  in  the  world  today. 

This  number  is  exclusive  of  the  2900  missionaries  laboring  in  the 
stakes  of  Zion — a  total  number  of  approximately  ten  thousand. 

In  monetary  terms,  applying  it  only  to  the  five  thousand  plus 
appointed  officially  by  the  First  Presidency,  this  means  that  mis- 
sionaries and  their  parents  in  stakes  and  wards  are  spending  at  the 
present  time  in  cash  $275,000  every  month,  or  $3,300,000  each  year. 

The  text  I  have  just  quoted,  "go  ye  unto  all  the  world"  is 
really  the  missionary  injunction  given  by  the  risen  Christ  to  his 
Apostles.  In  effect  he  says: 

Consider  this  work  unfinished  until  all  nations  shall  have  ac- 
cepted the  gospel  and  shall  have  enlisted  themselves  as  my  disciples. 

Now,  that  command  was  not  given  to  men  indiscriminately;  for 
even  to  the  Twelve,  to  whom  he  addressed  that  commission,  he  later 
gave  a  formal  assignment  and  blessing: 

...  as  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you. 
And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  breathed  on  them,  and  saith  unto 
them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost.  (John  20:21,  22.) 

With  the  same  direct  commission  from  the  risen  Lord  who  with 
the  Father  appeared  in  person  in  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  the  proclamation  of  the  gospel  is  being  made  by  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  to  "every  nation,  kindred,  tongue 
and  people"  as  fast  as  means  and  personnel  can  carry  it  forward. 

Forty-six  Missions 

Though  the  Church  is  young  in  years  and  comparatively  small 
in  numbers,  there  are  today,  including  the  great  mission  on  Temple 
Square,  forty-six  organized  missions  in  Europe,  the  United  States, 
Canada,  Mexico,  South  America,  the  Pacific  Isles,  Japan,  and  China. 

In  these  missions  there  are  1470  branches;  if  we  include  in- 
dependent Sunday  Schools,  there  are  1780.  That  number  is  exclusive 
of  wards  and  branches  in  organized  stakes. 

The  forty-six  men  who  preside  over  these  missions  are  chosen 
generally  from  the  rank  and  file  of  the  Church.  They  are  business- 
men, contractors,  ranchers,  college  professors,  lawyers,  physicians  afid 
surgeons,  dentists,  and  members  of  other  professions.  When  the 
call  comes  to  any  such,  no  matter  what  his  responsibilities  or  circum- 
stances, seldom  if  ever  does  he  offer  an  excuse,  but,  as  Samuel  of  old. 
replies:  "Speak,  thy  servant  heareth,"  even  though  such  acceptance 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


119 


means  a  financial  sacrifice  and  sometimes  the  loss  of  political  prefer- 
ment. 

The  missionaries,  generally,  are  young  men  and  women,  ranging 
in  age  from  twenty  to  thirty  years,  with  a  sprinkling  among  them  of 
more  experienced  men  and  women. 

It  is  well  to  say  here  that  the  direct  responsibility  of  preaching 
the  gospel  rests  upon  the  priesthood  of  the  Church — not  upon  the 
women,  though  the  efficiency  of  the  latter  in  cottage  meetings,  in 
Primaries,  and  Sunday  Schools,  and  in  other  phases  of  missionary 
work,  is  of  the  highest  order,  and  their  willingness,  even  eagerness, 
to  labor  is  not  excelled  by  that  of  the  young  men. 

Who  Missionaries  Are 

Who  are  these  youths  chosen  to  represent  the  Church?  They, 
too,  as  their  mission  presidents,  come  from  the  rank  and  file.  They 
are  farmers,  artisans,  factory  workers,  bank  clerks,  secretaries  in 
business  firms,  and  other  vocations.  Some  who  are  married  leave 
their  wives  and  their  children  who  help  to  support  them  in  their  work. 
All  of  them  look  forward  to  the  time  after  their  return  when  they, 
with  congenial  loving  companions,  may  build  happy  homes. 

As  already  stated,  each  pays  his  or  her  own  expenses,  in  most 
cases,  of  course,  with  the  assistance  of  parents.  True  Christianity 
is  love  in  action.  There  is  no  better  way  to  manifest  love  for  God 
than  to  show  an  unselfish  love  for  your  fellow  men.  This  is  the  spirit 
of  missionary  work.  Our  hearts  respond  to  the  cry  of  the  poet: 

"O  brother  man!  fold  to  thy  heart  thy  brother. 
Where  pity  dwells,  the  peace  of  God  is  there; 
To  worship  rightly  is  to  love  each  other, 
Each  smile  a  hymn,  each  kindly  deed  a  prayer." 

These  men  go  out  in  the  spirit  of  love,  seeking  nothing  from 
any  nation  to  which  they  are  sent:  no  personal  acclaim,  no  monetary 
acquisition.  Two  or  three  years  ago,  many  of  these  missionaries 
were  honorably  discharged  from  military  duty.  Not  a  few  had  saved 
their  government  allowance  to  pay  their  expenses  in  the  mission  field 
if  and  when  they  should  be  called. 

Influence  of  Missionary  System  Upon  Youth 

In  this  fact  we  get  a  glimpse  of  the  helpful  influence  of  the  mis- 
sionary system  upon  the  youth.  Every  deacon,  teacher,  and  priest, 
every  elder  in  the  Church  understands  that  to  be  worthy  to  be  a 
representative  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  he  must  be  temperate  in  his 
habits  and  morally  clean.  He  is  taught  that  there  is  no  double  stand- 
ard of  chastity,  that  every  young  man,  as  well  as  every  young 
woman,  is  to  keep  himself  free  from  sexual  impurity. 

I  once  read  one  of  the  most  impressive  letters  of  a  mother  to  a 
son  that  I  think  has  ever  been  written.  It  contained  only  three  words, 


120  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  2  Third  Day 

except  the  signature:  "Quinn,  keep  clean,"  and  was  signed,  "Loving- 
ly, Mother." 

Young  men  in  the  army,  therefore,  who  looked  forward  to  serv- 
ing as  missionaries  and  saved  their  money  for  that  purpose,  cherished 
higher  ideals  than  their  "buddies"  who  sometimes  prodigally  spent 
their  earnings  in  saloons,  gambling  dens,  and  brothels. 

In  more  than  one  instance,  Latter-day  Saint  soldiers  sent  home 
their  earnings  of  their  parents  to  be  deposited  in  the  savings  bank  to 
bear  their  missionary  costs  after  the  war.  And  we  know  of  two  or 
three  young  men  each  of  whom  added  in  effect:  "If  I  do  not  come 
home,  use  the  money  to  pay  the  expenses  of  some  other  young  man 
to  go  out  as  a  missionary." 

Trustworthiness 

These  young  men  are  instructed  that  they  go  out  as  representa- 
tives of  the  Church,  and  that  a  representative  of  any  organiza- 
tion— economic  or  religious — must  possess  at  least  one  outstanding 
quality,  and  that  is:  trustworthiness.  He  was  right  who  said, 
"To  be  trusted  is  a  greater  compliment  than  to  be  loved."  And 
whom  do  these  missionaries  represent?  First,  they  represent 
their  parents,  carrying  the  responsibility  of  keeping  their  good 
name  unsullied.  Second,  they  represent  the  Church,  specifically 
the  ward  in  which  they  live.  And  third,  they  represent  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  whose  authorized  servants  they  are. 

These  ambassadors,  for  such  they  are,  represent  these  three 
groups  and  carry  in  that  representation  one  of  the  greatest  respon- 
sibilities of  their  lives. 

Now,  what  is  the  outstanding  message  that  they  have  to  give 
to  Christian,  as  well  as  to  un-Christian  countries?  There  must  surely 
be  something  distinctive  to  justify  their  presence  in  all  parts  of  the 
world. 

Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ 

First,  their  message  is  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  the  re- 
deemer and  Savior  of  mankind.  To  these  missionaries — "Jesus  is 
not  a  legendary  figure  in  history,"  to  paraphrase  a  question  asked 
by  Hall  Caine  to  the  Christian  world, 

...  he  is  not  merely  a  saint  to  be  painted  in  the  stained  glass 
of  church  windows,  a  sort  of  sacred  fairy  not  to  be  approached  and 
hardly  to  be  mentioned  by  name.  But  he  is  still  what  he  was  in  the  flesh, 
a  reality,  a  man  of  like  passions  with  ourselves,  a  guide,  a  counselor,  a 
comforter,  a  great  voice  calling  to  us  to  live  nobly,  to  die  bravely,  and 
to  keep  up  our  courage  to  the  last. 

These  missionaries  declare  with  Peter  of  old 

.  .  .  there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men, 
whereby  we  must  be  saved.  (Acts  4:12.) 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


121 


Relation  to  other  Organizations 

The  second  distinctive  message  is  this:  Every  missionary  should 
clearly  understand,  and  so  declare  in  unmistakable  words,  the  rela- 
tion of  this  Church  to  other  Christian  organizations — that  it  is 
neither  an  outgrowth  nor  a  division  of  any  of  them.  True,  the  Church 
is  generally  classed  with  the  Protestants;  but  Protestantism  began 
with  the  great  dissenters  —  Martin  Luther,  Philip  Melanchthon, 
Ulrich  Zwingli,  John  Knox,  and  others.  These  great  reformers 
denounced  corrupt  practices  in  the  Roman  Church,  particularly  the 
selling  of  indulgences  wherein  delinquents  could  make  satisfaction 
by  money  contributions,  a  practice  carried  on  under  one  pretext 
and  another  until  it  became  a  regular  financial  expedient  for  increas- 
ing papal  revenue. 

It  was  extended  even  to  souls  in  purgatory. 

The  great  men  whom  I  have  named  rebelled  against  this  evil 
and  others,  and  organized  churches  in  protest. 

Accordingly,  when  the  second  Diet  of  Spires  in  1529  passed  a 
resolution 

.  .  .  disallowing  further  religious  innovations  in  the  Lutheran 
states,  whilst  prohibiting  the  profession  of  the  Zwinglian  and  Ana- 
baptist forms  of  the  reformed  faith,  the  Lutheran  minority  protested, 
and  this  protestation  was  signed  by  fourteen  cities  as  well  as  by  the 
elector  of  Saxony,  the  landgrave  of  Hesse  and  four  other  provinces. 
Hence  the  name  Protestant  as  a  designation  of  the  evangelical  party. 

Protestantism,  under  many  different  names,  spread  over  Europe 
and  later  among  the  American  colonies,  and  freedom  to  worship  as 
one  sincerely  wished  became  more  and  more  the  proscribed  right 
of  the  individual,  but  in  the  hearts  of  many  a  true  believer  in  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  there  remained  an  abiding  belief,  a  feeling  that  the 
authority  to  represent  him  had  been  taken  from  the  earth,  and  that 
there 

.  .  .  can  be  no  recovery  out  of  that  apostasy  till  Christ  shall  send 
forth  new  apostles  to  plant  churches  anew. 

True  Church  Restored 

This  in  effect  is  what  the  Lord  told  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith 
when  as  a  fourteen-year-old  lad  he  inquired  which  of  all  sects  was 
right  and  which  should  he  join.  Joseph  was  told  to  join  none  of 
them  for 

"they  draw  near  to  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far 
from  me;  they  teach  for  doctrine  the  commandments  of  men,  having  a 
form  of  godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power  thereof."  (Pearl  of  Great 
Price,  Joseph  Smith,  2:19.) 

A  few  years  later,  specifically,  April  6,  1830,  Joseph  Smith  re- 
ceived by  the  spirit  of  prophecy  and  revelation  instructions  from 
the  Savior  "to  organize  his  Church  once  more  here  upon  the  earth." 


122  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Day 


Thus  was  established  by  direct  revelation  and  divine  authority 
from  the  Eternal  Father  and  Jesus  Christ  who  founded  the  Church 
in  the  Meridian  of  Times,  the  Church  of  Latter-days,  which  is  set 
up  as  a  fore-runner,  if  you  please,  to  the  establishing  of  the  king- 
dom of  God  upon  the  earth.  In  the  words  of  President  John 
Taylor, 

with  such  an  organization  there  is  a  chance  for  the  Lord,  God  to  be 
revealed.  There  is  an  opportunity  for  the  law  of  life  to  be  made  manifest, 
a  chance  for  God  to  introduce  the  principles  of  heaven  upon  the  earth 
and  for  the  will  of  God  to  be  done  upon  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven. 
(J.  D.  18:140,  Oct.  10,  1875.) 

With  these  two  great  fundamental  truths  as  the  heart  of  their 
message,  namely,  ( 1 )  the  divinity  of  the  mission  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Savior  of  the  world,  and  (2)  the  restoration  of  his  gospel 
in  this  age,  the  missionaries  are  to  the  best  of  their  ability,  fulfilling 
the  injunction  to  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,  baptizing  them 
in  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  the  Lord  has  com- 
manded. 

This,  then,  brethren,  is  a  world-wide  Church  organized  prepar- 
atory to  the  establishing  of  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth  by  means 
of  which 

.  .  .  the  Lord  God  may  be  revealed,  and  an  opportunity  for  the 
laws  of  life  to  be  made  manifest. 

Ambassadors  of  Good  Will 

These  thousands  of  missionaries  and  men  who  hold  the  priest- 
hood everywhere  are  ambassadors  of  good  will,  the  ultimate  purpose 
of  whose  service  is  to  change  the  hearts  of  men  everywhere  from 
selfishness  and  greed  to  tolerance,  compassion,  and  brotherhood. 
And,  so,  with  all  our  hearts  we  can  sing: 

Go,  ye  messengers  of  glory; 
Run,  ye  legates  of  the  skies: 
Go  and  tell  the  pleasing  story 
That  a  glorious  angel  flies, 

Great  and  mighty, 
With    a    message    from    the  skies. 

Go  to  ev'ry  tribe  and  nation: 
Visit  ev'ry  land  and  clime; 
Sound  to  all  the  proclamation. 
Tell  to  all  the  truth  sublime: 

That  the  gospel 
Does  in  ancient  glory  shine. 

Go,  to  all  the  gospel  carry. 
Let  the  joyful  news  abound; 
Go  till  ev'ry  nation  hear  you, 
Jew  and  Gentile  greet  the  sound. 

Let  the  gospel, 
Echo  all  the  earth  around. 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL  123 


Bearing  seed  of  heav'nly  virtue, 
Scatter  it  o'er  all  the  earth; 
Go!  Jehovah  will  support  you; 
Gather  all  the  sheaves  of  worth; 
Then,  with  Jesus, 
Reign  in  glory  on  the  earth. 

— John  Taylor 

May  the  heart  of  every  missionary  be  inspired  by  the  spirit  of 
his  Lord,  whose  authorized  servant  he  is,  to  the  end  that  selfishness 
and  violence  now  so  powerful  in  the  world  will  be  replaced  by  loyal 
service,  truth,  and  brotherhood!  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  brothers  and  sisters  and  friends,  in  all  humility  I  stand  before 
you  today,  and  I'  desire  to  address  my  remarks  to  all  you  who  sit 
before  us  and  to  those  many  who  are  outside  the  walls  of  this  build- 
ing but  who  are  listening  and  seeing. 

A  Prophet  of  God 

When  the  prophet  on  Friday  morning  opened  this  glorious  con- 
ference and  bore  his  testimony  to  this  world,  I  wonder  if  it  affected 
all  of  you  as  it  did  me.  My  mind  went  back  to  the  twenty-third 
chapter  of  Matthew  where  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  speaking  to 
people  who  disregarded  the  solemn  and  sacred  things  that  were  there 
for  their  acceptance.  In  words  condemnatory  he  said: 

Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  because  ye  build 
the  tombs  of  the  prophets  and  garnish  the  sepulchres  of  the  righteous, 

And  say,  If  we  had  been  in  the  days  of  our  fathers,  we  would  not 
have  been  partakers  with  them  in  the  blood  of  the  prophets. 

Wherefore,  behold,  I  send  unto  you  prophets,  and  wise  men  and 
scribes:  and  some  of  them  ye  shall  kill  and  crucify;  .  .  . 

and  then  later: 

O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest 
them  which  are  sent  unto  thee.  .  .  .  (Matt.  23:29-30,  34,  37.) 

You  folk  in  the  Church  and  out  of  the  Church  heard  a  prophet 
of  God  bear  testimony  that  this  was  the  only  true  and  living  Church 
upon  the  earth.  Did  you  listen,  or  do  you  also  build  sepulchres  for 
the  dead  prophets  and  tombs  for  those  who  have  passed  away  long 
ago  and  disregard  the  living  ones?  I  bear  witness  to  you  that  the 
Prophet  of  God  who  bore  testimony  to  you  on  Friday  morning  is  the 
recognized  head  of  God's  kingdom  here  upon  this  earth,  and  you 
would  do  well  to  listen  and  to  accept  it  in  your  hearts.  I  bear  testimony 


124  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.   October  2 


Third  Day 


also,  in  all  solemnity,  that  this  is  the  true  and  living  Church  and  that 
it  is  officered  by  men  who  are  called  of  God,  and  it  is  accepted  of  the 
Lord,  and  that  the  gospel  which  it  promulgates,  by  these  thousands 
of  missionaries  abroad  and  the  other  thousands  here  at  home,  is  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  which  will  cure  all  ills  and  solve  all  problems 
and  will  exalt  mankind  as  well  as  save  him. 

Work  Among  Lamanites 

I  had  thought  of  saying  something  about  the  Indian  or  Lamanite 
program  at  this  conference,  but  I  have  been  "pressed  by  the  spirit," 
as  Paul  said,  to  speak  upon  other  matters;  however,  I  should  like  to 
make  this  one  statement,  that  the  work  among  the  Lamanites,  though 
still  in  its  infancy,  is  going  forward  at  an  incredible  pace.  The  re- 
sponsiveness of  the  children  of  Lehi  is  unbelievable.  There  will  be 
many  hundreds  of  baptisms  this  year  both  in  stakes  and  missions,  and 
I  pray  the  blessings  of  the  Lord  upon  all  those  who  are  contributing 
toward  fulfilment  of  the  promises  with  which  the  Lord  has  filled  his 
books  of  scripture. 

Much  has  been  said  in  this  conference  already  about  the  funda- 
mental principle  of  repentance.  President  Clark  repeated  the  other 
night  the  passage  where  the  Lord  said,  ".  .  .  preach  nothing  but  re- 
pentance unto  this  people." 

It  seems  that  most  of  us  think  that  repentance  is  for  the  other 
person,  for  the  one  who  has  committed  murder  or  adultery  or  theft 
or  something  that  is  very  heinous,  but  repentance,  as  I  read  the  scrip- 
tures, is  for  us  all. 

Need  for  Repentance 

It  is  my  pleasure,  also,  to  go  into  the  homes  of  the  leaders  in  the 
missions,  wards,  and  stakes  of  Zion,  and  I  am  deeply  appreciative 
of  the  fact  that  most  of  our  people  are  trying  to  live  the  command- 
ments of  the  Lord.  I  find  in  this  Church  many  people  who  amaze 
me  with  their  close  approach  toward  perfection,  but  I  do  find,  as  I 
go  about  the  Church,  some  who  need  this  principle  of  repentance.  I 
thank  the  Lord  for  this  glorious  principle.  I  find  parents  who  have 
lost  the  natural  affection  for  their  children.  I  find  children  who 
disown  and  disclaim  their  parents  and  evade  responsibility  concern- 
ing them.  I  find  sometimes  husbands  who  desert  their  wives  and  their 
children,  and  who  use  almost  every  pretext  to  justify  such  action.  I 
find  wives  who  are  demanding,  unworthy,  quarrelsome,  and  who  are 
uncooperative  and  selfish  and  worldly,  provoking  such  action.  I  find 
those  who  gossip  and  bear  false  witness  against  their  neighbors.  I 
find  brethren  who  hale  each  other  into  the  courts  on  trivial  matters 
that  could  have  been  settled  by  themselves.  I  find  blood  brothers  and 
sisters  who  fight  over  inheritances  and  bring  each  other  into  the 
courts  of  the  land  and  drag  before  the  public  the  most  intimate  and 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL  125 


personal  family  secrets,  bringing  all  of  the  skeletons  out  of  the  closets, 
leaving  nothing  sacred,  having  little  regard  for  each  other,  interested 
only  in  that  which  they  might  acquire  by  such  action.  I  saw  one 
family  split  wide  apart,  half  of  the  brothers  and  sisters  on  one  side, 
and  half  on  the  other,  in  a  most  disgraceful  feud.  At  the  funeral  half 
of  them  sat  on  one  side  of  the  aisle  and  half  on  the  other.  They 
would  not  speak  to  each  other.  The  property  involved  was  worth 
only  a  few  thousand  dollars,  and  yet  they  are  avowed  enemies.  I 
have  seen  people  in  wards  and  branches  who  impugn  the  motives  of 
the  Authorities  and  of  each  other  and  make  them  "offender  for  a 
word."  I  have  seen  people  in  branches  where  they  have  broken 
wide  apart  and  say  unkind  things  about  each  other  and  will  hardly 
speak  to  each  other.  They  bring  into  their  meetings  the  spirit  of 
the  evil  one  instead  of  the  spirit  of  the  Christ. 

Faults  to  be  Overcome 

I  have  seen  husbands  and  wives,  living  under  the  same  roof, 
who  are  selfish,  unbending,  and  unforgiving,  who  with  their  misun- 
derstandings have  hardened  their  hearts  and  poisoned  their  minds. 
Then  I  have  seen  many  people  who  have  become  offended  at  Church 
authorities,  their  ward,  stake,  mission,  auxiliary,  and  priesthood 
leaders,  for  things  which  have  been  said  or  were  imagined  to  have 
been  said  or  thought. 

To  the  children  who  are  unkind  to  their  parents  the  Lord  has 
said,  "Ye  hypocrites,"  (Matt.  15:7.)  "He  that  curseth  father  or 
mother,  let  him  die  the  death."  (Matt.  15:4.)  To  the  intolerant,  God 
has  said.  "What  God  hath  cleansed,  that  call  not  thou  common." 
(Acts  11:9.)  To  the  gossip  he  has  said  from  Sinai:  "Thou  shalt  not 
bear  false  witness.  .  .  ."  ( Exodus  20: 16. )  To  those  who  would  impugn 
motives  he  said:  "Judge  not,  that  ye  be  not  judged."  (Matt.  7:1.) 
And  to  those  who  would  criticize  the  Authorities  and  use  them  as 
stumbling  blocks,  who  would  absent  themselves  from  their  meetings, 
who  would  fail  to  pay  their  tithes  and  other  obligations  because  of 
fancied  offenses,  I  would  like  to  read  from  the  Doctrine  &  Covenants, 
Section  121:16-18,  20-21: 

Cursed  are  all  those  that  shall  lift  up  the  heel  against  mine  anointed, 
saith  the  Lord,  and  cry  they  have  sinned  when  they  have  not  sinned 
before  me,  saith  the  Lord,  but  have  done  that  which  was  meet  in  mine 
eyes,  and  which  I  commanded  them. 

But  those  who  cry  transgression  do  it  because  they  are  the  servants  of 
sin,  and  are  the  children  of  disobedience  themselves. 

And  those  who  swear  falsely  against  my  servants,  .  .  . 

Their  basket  shall  not  be  full,  their  houses  and  their  barns  shall 
perish,  and  they  themselves  shall  be  despised  by  those  that  flattered 
them. 

They  shall  not  have  right  to  the  priesthood,  nor  their  posterity  after 
them  from  generation  to  generation. 

And  to  all  who  sin  in  devious  ways,  the  Savior  says: 

.  .  .  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.     (Luke  13:5.) 


126  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Dan 

All  Need  to  Repent 

And  so,  repentance  is  not  for  the  murderer  alone,  nor  the 
adulterer.  It  comes  to  them,  too,  but  to  all  those  who  have  been 
tempted  of  the  evil  one  to  commit  sins  of  omission  and  sins  of  com- 
mission. 

As  I  read  the  scriptures,  I  find  that  all  the  various  sins  are  con- 
demned. May  I  name  only  a  few  whom  he  calls  to  repentance:  the 
murderer  and  the  adulterer  and  the  thief,  the  proud,  the  coveter,  the 
drinker,  the  smoker,  the  ungrateful,  the  liar,  the  gambler,  the  drunk- 
ard, the  selfish,  the  unforgiving,  the  accuser,  the  defrauder,  the 
gossip,  the  profane,  the  vulgar,  the  intolerant,  the  malicious,  the  idler, 
the  persecutor,  the  envious,  the  jealous,  and  to  all  these  the  Lord 
says: 

.  .  .  repent  and  walk  more  uprightly  before  me.  (D.  &  C.  5:21.) 
Repentance  is  required  of  us  all.  In  this  dispensation  the  Lord 

said: 

.  .  .  entangle  not  yourselves  in  sin,  but  let  your  hands  be  clean, 
until  the  Lord  comes.  (D.  6  C.  88:86.) 

Paul  told  the  Romans: 

.  .  .  There  is  none  righteous,  no,  not  one.  (Romans  3:10.) 

Even  in  the  days  of  Kirtland  the  Lord  flashed  forth  this  indict- 
ment: 

Behold,  I,  the  Lord,  am  not  well  pleased  with  many  who  are  in  the 
church  at  Kirtland; 

For  they  do  not  forsake  their  sins,  and  their  wicked  ways,  the  pride 
of  their  hearts,  and  their  covetousness,  and  all  their  detestable  things,  and 
observe  the  words  of  wisdom  and  eternal  life  which  I  have  given  unto 
them. 

...  I,  the  Lord,  will  chasten  them.  (D.  &  C.  98:19-21.) 

He  called  even  the  Prophet  Joseph  to  repentance,  though  his  sin  was 
as  nothing  compared  to  ours: 

.  .  .  now  I  command  you,  my  servant  Joseph,  to  repent  and  walk 
more  uprightly  before  me,  and  to  yield  to  the  persuasions  of  men  no 
more;   (D.  6  C.  5:21.) 

His  sin  had  been  in  yielding  to  the  persuasions  of  Martin  Harris 
to  permit  him  to  borrow  the  sacred  records  and  let  them  be  viewed. 
The  Lord  said  further: 

Wherefore,  I  will  that  all  men  shall  repent,  for  all  are  under  sin, 
except  those  which  I  have  reserved  unto  myself,  holy  men  that  ye 
know  not  of.     (D.  &  C.  49:8.) 

And  surely  every  man  must  repent  or  suffer,  for  I,  God,  am  endless. 
(D.  &  C.  19:4.) 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL  127 

A  Merciful  Law 

Repentance  is  a  glorious  and  merciful  law.  It  means  a  sorrow 
for  sin,  a  confession  of  sin,  abandonment  of  sin,  restitution  for  sin, 
and  then  the  living  of  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  which  itself 
includes  the  forgiving  of  others,  even  those  who  sin  against  us.  The 
Father  says: 

By  this  ye  may  know  if  a  man  repenteth  of  his  sins — behold,  he  will 
confess  them  and  forsake  them.  (D.  6  C.  58:43.) 

The  Lord  has  made  provisions  for  those  who  commit  heinous 
crimes,  but  I  shall  not  dwell  specifically  upon  them  today.  Those 
who  are  in  deep  sin  should  go  to  their  ward,  stake,  or  mission  author- 
ities  for  assistance.  I  am  talking  now,  generally,  about  the  sins  that 
many  of  us  commit. 

In  the  Doctrine  &  Covenants,  Section  59,  the  Lord  says, 

But  remember  that  on  this,  the  Lord's  day,  thou  shalt  offer  thine 
oblations  and  thy  sacraments  unto  the  Most  High,  confessing  thy  sins 
unto  thy  brethren,  and  before  the  Lord.  (v.  12.) 

Long  years  ago  in  every  testimony  meeting  we  had  people  who  arose 
and  said  to  their  brothers  and  sisters,  substantially,  this:  "I  confess 
before  you  my  weaknesses  and  imperfections  and  ask  your  assistance, 
your  help,  your  tolerance,  your  understanding,  and  I  pray  the  Lord 
will  forgive  me."  We  do  not  hear  it  so  much  any  more.  I  think  the 
Lord  so  instructed  us,  that  we  might  seek  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  by 
having  confessed  them  humbly,  acknowledging  them  before  the  peo- 
ple and  the  Lord. 

Now,  in  Proverbs  28:13,  the  Lord  inspired  his  prophets  to  say. 

He  that  covereth  his  sins  shall  not  prosper:  but  whoso  confesseth 
and  forsaketh  them  shall  have  mercy. 

Abandonment  of  Sin 
And  then  to  the  Nephites  this  word  came  from  the  Lord: 

And  whosoever  repented  of  their  sins  and  did  confess  them,  them 
he  did  number  among  the  people  of  the  church; 

And  those  that  would  not  confess  their  sins  and  repent  of  their 
iniquity,  the  same  were  not  numbered  among  the  people  of  the  church,  and 
their  names  were  blotted  out.   (Mosiah  26:35-36.) 

The  abandonment  of  sin  is  an  important  part  of  repentance  and 
is  a  requirement  before  forgiveness  can  be  expected.  The  Lord  says 
we  may  know  a  man  has  repented  if  he  confess  and  forsake  his 
sins  and:  • 

whoso  confesseth  and  forsaketh  them  shall  have  mercy.  (Prov. 
28:13.) 


128  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2 


Third  Day 


Restitution 

The  sinner  should  make  restitution.  It  is  obvious  that  the 
murderer  cannot  give  back  a  life  he  has  taken;  the  libertine  cannot 
restore  the  virtue  he  has  violated;  the  gossip  may  be  unable  to 
nullify  and  overcome  the  evils  done  by  a  loose  tongue;  but,  so  far 
as  is  possible,  one  must  restore  and  make  good  the  damage  done. 
Perhaps  the  warning  of  the  Redeemer  "...  thou  shalt  not  depart 
thence,  till  thou  hast  paid  the  very  laste  mite"  (Luke  12:59)  may 
have  reference  to  restitution  as  well  as  to  the  suffering  of  the  sinner. 
Again  the  Lord  says:  "...  and  they  [the  sins]  shall  not  be  blotted 
out  until  he  repent  and  reward  thee  four-fold  in  all  things  where- 
with he  has  trespassed  against  thee."  (D.  &  C.  98:44.) 

One  of  the  most  important  elements  in  repentance  and  forgive- 
ness is  living  the  commands  of  God  for  the  Father  says  in  his  preface 
to  his  latter-day  revelation, 

...  I  the  Lord  cannot  look  upon  sin  with  the  least  degree  of  allow- 
ance, 

Nevertheless,  he  that  repents  and  does  the  commandments  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  forgiven.   (D.  6  C.  1:31-32.) 

Forgiveness  of  Sins 

Now,  the  doing  of  the  commandments  includes  many  things,  and 
much  good  works,  but  one  of  its  very  important  aspects  is  the  purging 
of  our  own  hearts  and  forgiving  others  their  trespasses  against  us. 

To  obtain  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  we  must  forgive.  Read  the 
scriptures  given  us  on  that  point:  "And  be  ye  kind  one  to  another, 
tenderhearted,  forgiving  one  another,  even  as  God  for  Christ's  sake 
hath  forgiven  you."  (Eph.  4:32.)  Then  in  the  Lord's  prayer  to  the 
people  in  Jerusalem,  he  said:  "Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven,  .  .  . 
forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors."  (Matt.  6:9,  12.) 
Did  he  not  mean  in  the  same  manner  and  in  the  same  degree,  per- 
haps, as  we  forgive  our  debtors?  He  made  it  a  little  more  clear, 
even,  to  the  Nephites.  for  after  he  had  said,  "forgive  us  our  debts 
as  we  forgive  our  debtors"  (III  Nephi  13:11)  he  said,  "For,  if  ye 
forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly  Father  will  also  forgive 
you; 

"But  if  ye  forgive  not  men  their  trespasses,  neither  will  your 
Father  forgive  your  trespasses."  (Ill  Nephi  13:14,  15.)  And  again 
to  the  Nephites  the  Lord  says:  "...  ye  shall  also  forgive  one  an- 
other your  trespasses;  for  verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  forgiveth 
not  his  neighbor's  trespasses  when  he  says  that  he  repents,  the  same 
hath  brought  himself  under  condemnation."  (Mosiah  26:31.)  Con- 
demnation, then,  comes  to  you  who  will  not  forgive,  probably  even 
greater  than  to  him  who  gave  the  offense. 

Even  the  ancient  Apostles  suffered  on  this  account: 

"My  disciples,  in  days  of  old,  sought  occasion  against  one  an- 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL  129 


other  and  forgave  not  one  another  in  their  hearts;  and  for  this 
evil  they  were  afflicted  and  sorely  chastened. 

"Wherefore  I  say  unto  you,  that  ye  ought  to  forgive  one  another; 
for  he  that  forgiveth  not  his  brother  his  trespasses  standeth  con- 
demned before  the  Lord;  for  there  remaineth  in  him  the  greater 
sin."  (D.  &  C.  64:8-9.) 

The  Higher  Law 

Now,  the  Savior  said  to  his  people  when  he  was  upon  the  earth, 
"Ye  have  heard  that  it  hath  been  said,  An  eye  for  an  eye,  and  a 
tooth  for  a  tooth,"  (Matt.  5:38)  and  then  he  went  on  to  give  us 
the  higher  law.  He  proceeded:  "But  I  say  unto  you,  That  ye  resist 
not  evil:  but  whosoever  shall  smite  thee  on  thy  right  cheek,  turn  to 
him  the  other  also. 

"And  if  any  man  will  sue  thee  at  the  law,  and  take  away  thy 
coat,  let  him  have  thy  cloak  also. 

"And  whosoever  shall  compel  thee  to  go  a  mile,  go  with  him 
twain."  (Matt.  5:39-41.)  And  again  Jesus  said:  "Ye  have  heard 
that  it  hath  been  said,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor,  and  hate  thine 
enemy. 

"But  I  say  unto  you,  Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that  curse 
you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  which  despite- 
fully  use  you,  and  persecute  you."  (Matt.  5:43-44.)  Why?  That 
you  might  have  the  benefit  of  it.  It  does  not  injure  him  so  much  when 
you  hate  a  person,  especially  if  he  is  far  removed  and  does  not  come 
in  contact  with  you,  but  the  hate  and  the  bitterness  canker  your 
unforgiving  heart. 

One  great  blessing  that  comes  to  those  who  will  forgive,  and 
love  their  neighbors  and  enemies  also,  is:  "That  ye  may  be  the 
children  of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven:  ... 

"For  if  ye  love  them  which  love  you,  what  reward  have  you? 
do  not  even  the  publicans  the  same?"  (Matt.  5:45,  46.)  And  then 
he  commanded:  "Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which 
is  in  heaven  is  perfect."  (Matt.  5:48.) 

"How  Oft  Shall  I  .  .  .  Forgive" 

Perhaps  Peter  had  met  people  who  continued  to  trespass  against 
him,  and  he  asked:  "Lord,  how  oft  shall  my  brother  sin  against  me, 
and  I  forgive  him?"  (Ibid.,  18:21.)  And  the  Lord  said:  "I  say  not 
unto  thee,  Until  seven  times:  but,  Until  seventy  times  seven."  (Ibid., 
18:22.)  "...  and  as  oft  as  thine  enemy  repenteth  of  the  trespass 
wherewith  he  has  trespassed  against  thee,  thou  shalt  forgive  him, 
until  seventy  times  seven."  (D.  &  C.  98:40.)  Until  seventy  times 
seven!  That  seems  very  difficult  indeed  for  us  mortals,  and  yet 
there  are  still  harder  things  to  do.  When  they  have  repented  and 
come  on  their  knees  to  ask  forgiveness,  most  of  us  can  forgive,  but 


130  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Day 


the  Lord  has  required  that  we  shall  even  forgive  them  if  they  do 
not  repent  nor  ask  forgiveness  of  us. 

In  D.  6  C.  Sec.  98:41-45,  he  said:  "And  if  he  trespass  against 
thee  and  repent  not  the  first  time,  nevertheless  thou  shalt  forgive 
him. 

"And  if  he  trespass  against  thee  the  second  time,  and  repent  not, 
nevertheless  thou  shalt  forgive  him. 

"And  if  he  trespass  against  thee  the  third  time,  and  repent  not, 
thou  shalt  also  forgive  him. 

"But  if  he  trespass  against  thee  the  fourth  time  thou  shalt  not 
forgive  him,  but  shall  bring  these  testimonies  before  the  Lord;  and 
they  shall  not  be  blotted  out  until  he  repent  and  reward  thee  four- 
fold in  all  things  wherewith  he  has  trespassed  against  thee. 

"And  if  he  do  this,  thou  shalt  forgive  him  with  all  thine  heart;" 
we  must  still  forgive.  The  Lord  will  avenge  us.  "Vengeance  is  mine; 
I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord,"  (Rom.  12:19)  and  man  must  not  seek 
vengeance  nor  retaliate  against  those  who  have  damaged  him.  Bit- 
terness injures  the  one  who  carries  it  more  than  the  one  against 
whom  it  is  directed. 

Judge  Not 

Can  we  ever  forget  the  lesson  taught  us  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
when  he  said: 

Judge  not,  that  ye  be  not  judged. 

For  with  what  judgment  ye  judge,  ye  shall  be  judged:  and  with 
what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again. 
And  why  beholdest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's  eye,  but  con- 
siderest  not  the  beam  that  is  in  thine  own  eye? 

Or  how  wilt  thou  say  to  thy  brother,  Let  me  pull  out  the  mote  out 
of  thine  eye;  and,  behold,  a  beam  is  in  thine  own  eye? 

Thou  hypocrite,  first  cast  out  the  beam  out  of  thine  own  eye;  and 
then  shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  cast  out  the  mote  out  of  thy  brother's  eye. 
(Matt.  7:1-5.) 

The  contrast  between  the  huge  beam  and  the  tiny  mote  brings 
to  our  attention,  forcibly,  that  we  mortals  should  totally  avoid  judg- 
ment of  our  fellow  men.  When  a  beam  is  obscuring  our  own  vision, 
how  can  we  know  their  motives,  intents,  and  desires?  And  not 
knowing,  how  can  we  judge  righteously? 

Another  indictment  of  us  who  accuse  others  is  the  touching 
story  of  the  woman  taken  in  adultery  and  brought  before  the  Savior 
for  judgment.  Her  accusers,  apparently  with  monumental  beams  in 
their  eyes  blinding  them,  brought  the  unfortunate  sinner  demanding 
the  extreme  penalty  of  stoning.  The  Lord  was  wise  beyond  their 
comprehension  and  could  not  be  trapped  by  these  wanton  sinners. 

.  .  .  But  Jesus  stooped  down  and  with  his  finger  wrote  on  the  ground, 
as  though  he  heard  them  not. 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL  131 


So  when  they  continued  asking  him,  he  lifted  himself,  and  said 
unto  them,  He  that  is  without  sin  among  you,  let  him  first  cast  a  stone 
at  her. 

And  again  he  stooped  down,  and  wrote  on  the  ground.  (John  8:6-8.) 

And  when  he  looked  up  a  little  later,  all  the  accusers  "...  being 
convicted  by  their  own  conscience,"  (v.  9)  had  sneaked  away. 

Unholy  Judging 

Another  impressive  example  of  unholy  judging  comes  to  us  in 
the  Lord's  parable  of  the  unmerciful  servant  who  owed  to  his  lord 
ten  thousand  talents  but  being  unable  to  pay,  his  lord  commanded 
him  to  be  sold,  and  his  wife,  and  children  and  all  that  he  had,  and 
payment  to  be  made.  The  servant  fell  down  and  begged  for  a 
moratorium,  and  when  the  compassionate  lord  had  loosed  him  and 
forgiven  his  debt,  this  conscienceless  person  straightway  found  one 
of  his  fellowservants  who  owed  him  an  hundred  pence,  and  taking 
him  by  the  throat  demanded  payment  in  full,  and  upon  failure  of 
the  debtor,  cast  him  into  prison.  When  the  lord  heard  of  this  rank 
injustice,  he  chastised  the  unmerciful  servant: 

.  .  .  O  thou  wicked  servant,  I  forgave  thee  all  that  debt,  because 
thou  desiredst  me: 

Shouldest  not  thou  also  have  had  compassion  on  thy  fellowservant, 
even  as  I  had  pity  on  thee? 

And  his  lord  was  wroth,  and  delivered  him  to  the  tormentors,  till 
he  should  pay  all  that  was  due  unto  him.  (Matt.  18:32-34.) 

Then  the  Redeemer,  summarizing,  said  to  his  disciples: 

So  likewise  shall  my  heavenly  Father  do  also  unto  you,  if  ye 
from  your  hearts  forgive  not  every  one  his  brother  their  trespasses. 
(Matt.  18:35.) 

According  to  my  Bible,  the  Roman  penny  is  an  eighth  of  an  ounce 
of  silver,  while  the  talent  is  750  ounces.  Accordingly  the  unmerciful 
servant  was  forgiven  600,000  units  but  would  not  forgive  one  unit. 

I  met  a  woman  once,  demanding  and  critical.  She  accused  her 
stake  president  of  harshness  and  would  have  displaced  him  if  she 
could.  She  had  committed  adultery,  and  yet  with  her  comparative 
debt  of  600,000  pence  she  had  the  temerity  to  criticize  her  leader 
with  a  hundred  pence  debt.  I  also  knew  a  young  man  who  com- 
plained at  his  bishop  and  took  offense  at  the  leader's  inefficiency  and 
his  grammatical  errors,  yet  he  himself  had  in  his  life  sins  comparable 
to  the  talents  and  had  the  effrontery  to  accuse  his  bishop  of  weak- 
nesses comparable  only  to  the  pence. 

Those  of  us  who  have  sins,  heinous  or  less  serious,  would  do 
well  to  sing  frequently  the  beautiful  hymns:  "Should  You  Feel  In- 
clined to  Censure,"  by  George  H.  Durham;  "School  Thy  Feelings, 
O  My  Brother,"  by  President  Charles  W.  Penrose;  and  "Let  Each 
Man  Learn  to  Know  Himself,"  so  much  sung  and  loved  by  President 
Heber  J.  Grant. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Dag 


Examples  of  Forgiveness 


Remember  that  we  must  forgive  even  if  our  offender  did  not 
repent  and  ask  forgiveness.  Stephen  yet  in  his  young  life  had 
mastered  this  principle.  His  accusers,  unable  to  find  anything  against 
him  other  than  fancied  blasphemy,  stoned  him  to  death.  Not  waiting 
for  them  to  repent,  Stephen  displayed  his  saintliness  by  using  his 
last  breath  to  forgive  them  saying:  "Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their 
charge."  (Acts  7:60.)  They  had  taken  his  very  life,  and  yet  he 
forgave  them.  The  Prophet  Joseph  moved  to  his  certain  death  with 
the  same  spirit  of  forgiveness.  The  Lord  Jesus  also  gave  to  us  the 
lesson.  Before  they  asked  forgiveness,  before  they  repented,  while 
they  were  still  in  their  murderous  passion,  he  found  it  in  his  heart  to 
forgive  them  and  to  ask  his  Father  to  "  .  .  .  forgive  them;  for  they 
know  not  what  they  do."  (Luke  23:34.)  He  did  not  wait  till  his 
crucifiers,  the  high  priests,  scribes,  elders,  and  Pharisees,  should 
have  a  change  of  heart,  but  forgave  them  while  they  were  yet  covered 
with  his  life's  blood. 


It  frequently  happens  that  offenses  are  committed  when  the 
offender  is  not  aware  of  it.  Something  he  has  said  or  done  is  mis- 
construed or  misunderstood.  The  offended  one  treasures  in  his  heart 
the  offense,  adding  to  it  such  other  things  as  might  give  fuel  to  the 
fire  and  justify  his  conclusions.  Perhaps  this  is  one  of  the  reasons 
why  the  Lord  requires  that  the  offended  one  should  make  the  over- 
tures toward  peace.  He  says: 

And  if  thy  brother  or  sister  offend  thee,  thou  shall  take  him  or 
her  between  him  or  her  and  thee  alone;  and  if  he  or  she  confess  thou 
shalt  be  reconciled.   (D.  &  C.  42:88.) 

To  the  Nephites  the  Lord  said: 

.  .  .  if  .  .  .  thy  brother  hath  aught  against  thee — 
Go  thy  way  unto  thy  brother,  and  first  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother, 
and  then  come  unto  me  with  full  purpose  of  heart,  and  I  will  receive  you. 
(Ill  Nephi  12:23-24.) 

And  to  the  disciples  in  Judea  he  said: 

Therefore  if  thou  bring  thy  gift  to  the  altar,  and  there  rememberest 
that  thy  brother  hath  ought  against  thee; 

Leave  there  thy  gift  before  the  altar  and  go  thy  way;  first  be 
reconciled  to  thy  brother,  and  then  come  and  offer  thy  gift.  (Matt. 
5:23-24.) 

Do  we  follow  that  commandment  or  do  we  sulk  in  our  bitterness, 
waiting  for  our  offender  to  learn  of  it  and  to  kneel  to  us  in  remorse? 


Duties  of  Offended  One 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL  133 


Forgiveness  Involves  Forgetting 

And  this  reconciliation  suggests  also  forgetting.  Unless  you 
forget,  have  you  forgiven?  A  woman  in  a  branch  in  the  mission 
field  where  there  had  been  friction  finally  capitulated  and  said,  "Yes. 
I  will  forgive  the  others,  but  I  have  an  eternal  memory."  Certainly 
she  had  not  fulfilled  the  law  of  forgiving.  She  was  meeting  the  letter 
but  not  the  spirit.  Frequently  we  say  we  forgive  then  permit  the 
grievance  to  continue  to  poison  and  embitter  us. 

The  Lord  forgets  when  he  has  forgiven,  and  certainly  must  we. 
He  inspired  Isaiah  to  say: 

I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine  own 
sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins.  (Isaiah  43:25.) 

And  again  in  our  dispensation,  he  said: 

Behold,  he  who  has  repented  of  his  sins,  the  same  is  forgiven;  and  I, 
the  Lord,  remember  them  no  more.    (D.  &  C.  58:42.) 

And  we  are  instructed  by  him  that 

.  .  .  thou  shalt  forgive  him  with  all  thine  heart;  .  .  .  (D.  &  C.  98:45.) 

No  bitterness  of  past  frictions  can  be  held  in  memory  if  we  forgive 
with  all  our  hearts. 

So  long  as  we  are  bitter,  hold  grudges,  are  unrepentant  our- 
selves, unforgiving  to  others,  how  can  we  partake  of  the  sacrament? 
Read  again  what  God  said  in  the  matter: 

Wherefore,  whosoever  shall  eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup 
of  the  Lord,  unworthily,  shall  be  guilty  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the 
Lord.  But  let  a  man  examine  himself,  and  so  let  him  eat  of  that  bread, 
and  drink  of  that  cup. 

For  he  that  eateth  and  drinketh  unworthily,  eateth  and  drinketh 
damnation  to  himself.  (I  Cor.  11:27-29.) 

Settling  Differences 

Brothers  and  sisters  and  friends,  if  we  will  sue  for  peace,  taking 
the  initiative  in  settling  differences — if  we  can  forgive  and  forget 
with  all  our  hearts — if  we  can  cleanse  our  own  souls  of  sin,  accusa- 
tions, bitterness,  and  guilt  before  we  cast  a  stone  at  others — if  we 
forgive  all  real  or  fancied  offenses  before  we  ask  forgiveness  for  our 
own  sins — if  we  pay  our  own  debts,  large  or  small,  before  we  press 
our  debtors — if  we  manage  to  clear  our  own  eyes  of  the  blinding 
beams  before  we  magnify  the  motes  in  the  eyes  of  others — what  a 
glorious  world  this  would  be!  Divorce  would  be  reduced  to  a  mini- 
mum; courts  would  be  freed  from  disgusting  routines;  family  life 
would  be  heavenly;  the  building  of  the  kingdom  would  go  forward 
at  an  accelerated  pace;  and  the  peace  which  passeth  understanding 
would  bring  to  us  all  a  joy  and  happiness  which  has  hardly  "entered 
into  the  heart  of  man." 


134  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Dag 

And  a  final  word  from  the  Lord: 

Wherefore,  I  command  you  again  to  repent,  lest  I  humble  you  with 
my  almighty  power;  and  that  you  confess  your  sins,  lest  you  suffer  these 
punishments  of  which  I  have  spoken,  of  which  in  the  smallest,  yea,  even 
in  the  least  degree  you  have  tasted  at  the  time  I  withdrew  my  Spirit. 
D.  &  C.  19:20.) 

May  the  Lord  bless  us  all  that  we  may  continually  carry  in  our 
hearts  the  true  spirit  of  repentance  and  forgiveness  until  we  shall 
have  perfected  ourselves,  looking  toward  the  glories  of  exaltation 
awaiting  the  most  faithful,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


The  Tabernacle  Choir  and  the  congregation  sang  the  hymn,  "O 
Say,  What  Is  Truth?" 


ELDER  ANTOINE  R.  IVINS 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  I  believe  that  I  have  enjoyed  this  con- 
ference thus  far  to  the  fullest  extent  that  a  nervous  man  can.  The 
testimonies  that  have  been  given  have  been  wonderful,  and  we  have 
hard  much  that  is  worthy  of  our  remembrance  and  reflection.  It  is 
my  desire  to  bear  you  my  testimony  as  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  if  in  doing  so,  I  can  say  any  little  thing  that  will 
comfort  any  of  us  or  give  us  greater  courage  in  living  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  then  I  shall  be  happy. 

Influence  of  Joseph  Smith 

Not  long  ago,  as  I  was  leaving  the  office,  I  met  a  man  who  told 
me  that  he  was  a  prominent  lecturer.  I  have  never  heard  him,  but 
he  alleged  that  he  is  a  prominent  lecturer.  He  had  in  his  hand  a 
pamphlet,  "JosepIi  Smith  Tells  His  Own  Story."  He  said  he  was 
looking  for  the  best  printed  picture  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  for 
purposes  of  his  own,  of  course.  He  was  a  man,  I  presume,  of  Jewish 
faith,  for  he  said  he  was  a  Jew.  As  he  showed  me  that  picture,  he 
made  this  remark:  "Joseph  Smith  is  not  dead.  He  is  no  more  dead 
than  Abraham  and  Moses  and  Christ.  His  influence  has  extended 
throughout  the  whole  world.  It  is  felt  wherever  one  goes."  I  said, 
"I  hope  that  is  true,"  and  he  said,  "I  know  it  is  true.  I  have  been 
around  and  felt  his  influence." 

I  am  glad  that  I  have  faith  in  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  the 
story  that  he  told  us.  I  believe  implicitly  in  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
as  interpreted  by  the  Church,  and  the  prophets  who  stand  at  its 
head.  If  I  have  any  doubts,  it  is  only  as  to  my  ability  to  properly 
understand  and  properly  interpret  that  gospel  in  my  life. 


ELDER  ANTOINE  R.  IV INS 


135 


Firm  Foundation 

Not  very  long  ago,  also,  I  sat  at  a  banquet  table  next  to  one  of 
our  good  sisters.  During  the  conversation  she  told  me  of  two  teen- 
age boys,  brothers  they  were,  who  had  just  left  the  Church  and  had 
become  affiliated  with  another.  In  explaining  it  to  her,  they  said, 
"The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  has  nothing  to 
offer  us."  It  seems  to  me  that  that  is  a  strange  thing  for  a  young  man 
born  in  the  Church  to  be  able  to  say,  and  of  course  I  don't  believe 
a  word  of  it,  that  is,  I  don't  believe  that  it  is  true,  because  it  came 
perhaps  out  of  the  ignorance  of  those  two  boys  as  to  the  Church  and 
its  teachings.  We  have  sung  "How  Firm  a  Foundation"  is  laid  for 
us.  I  believe  that  foundation  is  of  such  a  peculiar  nature  and  so 
thoroughly  and  deeply  laid  that  any  man  or  any  woman  who  comes 
to  understand  it  should  accept  it  and  appreciate  it.  Every  man  who 
worships  should  know  the  God  he  worships.  Some  people  who 
teach  tell  us  that  the  glorious  thing  about  God  is  that  men  cannot 
understand  him;  but  Christ  said,  "This  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might 
know  thee  the  only  true  God."  (John  17:3.)  He  implies  there,  and 
I  infer,  that  it  is  possible  to  come  to  know  God  if  we  will  worship 
him  well;  and  the  great  thing,  as  has  already  been  intimated  this 
morning,  that  came  back  to  us  through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  was  the  clear  definition  as  to  the  personality 
of  God  and  of  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ.  That  is  the  great  and  basic 
foundation  stone,  so  far  as  my  faith  is  concerned,  and  it  came  back 
to  the  world  through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  That  is  why  we  go 
to  Christian  people  to  teach  the  gospel,  because  at  the  time  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  there  was  not,  and  there  is  not  today,  so  far. 
as  I  understand,  another  Christian  denomination  which  teaches  the 
true  personality  of  God.  How  can  you  worship  really,  honestly,  and 
sincerely  without  knowing  it? 

The  Priesthood 

There  is  another  foundation  stone  that  he  was  instrumental  in 
bringing  to  us,  which  was  represented  last  evening  in  the  gathering 
of  twelve  thousand  people  on  this  block,  and  that  is  the  priesthood 
of  God.  It  is  the  greatest  power,  the  most  desirable  thing  in  the 
world. 

When  I  was  in  Tennessee  one  time,  a  good  Methodist  asked  me 
if  we  thought  we  were  the  only  people,  to  which  I  replied  that  God 
loves  all  people  and  will  reward  them  as  they  live.  We  are,  however, 
the  custodians  of  his  priesthood,  and  that  priesthood  is  essential  to 
the  performance  of  the  ordinances  that  he  has  set  up  as  essential  to 
our  exaltation  in  his  kingdom.  Without  it  one  cannot  even  be  bap- 
tized into  the  Church.  I  hope  that  our  friends  who  are  not  of  us  will 
not  be  offended  when  I  use  an  illustration  that  I  read  in  a  letter  from 
a  young  man  who  wrote  from  Barcelona,  Spain,  recently.  He  said, 
"I  have  come  to  realize  that  baptism  into  the  Church  of  God  is  es- 


136 

Sunday,  October  2 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  D;ui 


sential.  I  believe  that  the  Catholic  baptism  is  ineffective  and 
Protestant  baptism  is  still  worse."  Now,  I  have  no  enmity  toward 
them.  I  say  this  only  to  show  that  people  do  believe,  as  we  do,  that 
baptism  is  essential.  It  is  set  forth  in  the  scriptures  unequivocally, 
but  it  must  be  performed  by  a  man  who  holds  the  corresponding 
priesthood  to  do  it.  .So  then,  we  have  another  reason  for  going  to 
even  Christian  peoples  with  the  message  which  we  bear.  That  priest- 
hood brings  us  the  privileges  of  our  endowment  in  the  temple.  It 
brings  us  the  privilege  of  being  sealed  to  our  wives  for  time  and 
all  eternity,  that  our  children  may  be  born  under  the  covenant  and 
be  ours  through  eternity  if  their  lives  justify  it,  than  which  no 
greater  blessing  could  ever  be  given  to  man.  If  those  three  things 
are  not  something  to  offer  to  the  people  of  the  world,  what  do  they 
want?  Getting  past  that,  we  have  other  things  that  were  restored. 
We  have  the  true  manner  of  the  administration  of  the  sacrament 
of  Christ.  There  is  no  other  place  in  the  world  that  you  can  find 
stated  the  blessings  that  must  be  used  on  the  water  and  the  bread, 
than  in  the  revealed  scripture  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints.  You  find  it  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  You  find  it 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

Educational  Program 

The  Church  fosters  education  as  no  other  religious  organization 
in  the  world,  I  think,  has  ever  done.  The  dominant  church  boasts 
the  oldest  college,  I  believe,  in  the  world,  located  in  Mexico.  It  is 
true  that  it  is  old,  almost  as  old  as  the  discovery  of  America,  but  what 
was  it  used  for?  It  was  used  to  educate  a  few  people  who  could 
minister  to  the  masses,  but  it  was  never  made  available  to  the  masses 
of  the  people,  not  even  desirable,  some  writers  say,  that  the  masses 
should  be  educated,  but  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  offers  an  educational  program  to  young  and  old,  the  like  of 
which  no  other  church  has  ever  done. 

We  have  our  youth  program,  which  is  being  copied  by  many 
today,  which  is  an  offering  to  the  young  that  they  should  not  con- 
sider lightly. 

One  could  go  on,  if  time  permitted,  to  enumerate  the  many 
benefits  and  blessings  that  come  from  membership  in  the  Church,  so 
that  one  wonders  why  anybody  should  let  trivial  things  drive  him 
from  it. 

Basic  Principles 

I  heard  the  other  day  of  a  man  who  left  the  Church  because  his 
son  was  denied  entry  into  the  temple-  I  imagine,  justifiably  so.  You 
find  people  who  leave  the  Church  because,  sometimes,  they  think 
the  bishops  and  stake  presidents  do  not  understand  them.  They  do 
not  think  of  these  broad  and  basic  things,  faith  in  God;  faith  in 
the  revealed  word  as  it  has  come  from  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith, 


ELDER  ANTOINE  R.  IVINS 


137 


that  he  was  actually  an  inspired  servant  of  God;  faith  in  the  ap- 
pointed leaders  who  have  followed  him  with  an  unbroken  line  of 
authority  to  minister  in  these  things.  They  are  the  important  things, 
it  seems  to  me,  brethren  and  sisters,  and  when  we  think  Mormonism, 
if  you  want  to  call  it  that,  when  we  think  of  the  gospel,  it  seems  to 
me  that  those  basic  things  are  the  ones  that  we  should  think  of  and 
appreciate,  and  we  should  not  worry  too  much  about  the  prohibitions 
that  it  gives  us.  There  is  not  a  single  one  of  them  that  is  not  set  up 
for  the  benefit  and  blessing  of  men.  It  is  true  that  many  men  are  frail 
and  have  great  difficulty  in  observing  all  of  those  things,  but  they 
should  not  let  their  failure  to  observe  them,  their  lack  of  power  to 
observe  them,  drive  them  out  of  the  Church,  because  in  other  sections 
they  are  given  liberty  and  license  that  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  cannot  condone. 

High  Motives  of  Officers 

The  Lord  has  to  use  human  elements  in  the  guidance  of  this 
great  work,  and  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  any  bishop  or  any  stake 
president  or  any  of  the  leaders  shall  be  absolutely  perfect  in  his  life, 
but  I  would  have  you  understand  that  it  is  my  belief  that  those  who 
stand  as  the  presiding  officers  of  this  Church  have  nothing  but  high 
and  holy  motives  in  the  things  which  they  do  and  that  they  constantly 
and  continuously  and  always  seek  the  spirit  of  God  to  prompt  them 
in  the  decisions  they  make,  the  programs  they  suggest. 

Brethren  and  sisters,  the  Church  offers  a  program  that  should 
be  attractive  to  all,  because  it  is  through  the  observance  of  that 
program  that  men  will  not  only  live  better  and  more  righteous  lives 
here  on  the  earth  and  gain  while  they  live  here  greater  joy  and 
greater  happiness  and  greater  satisfaction,  but  it  also  paves  the  way 
to  exaltation  in  the  presence  of  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  when  this 
mortal  sojourn  shall  end. 

It  is  my  testimony  to  you  that  I  feel,  deep  down  in  my  heart,  the 
truth  of  these  things,  that  because  I  sense  this,  I  am  willing  to  devote 
my  life  to  their  teachings  as  one  of  the  great  missionary  forces  to 
which  President  McKay  has  referred  today.  I  only  hope  and  desire 
in  serving  you  that  I  may  do  it  with  full  love  and  fellowship,  without 
hate,  in  my  heart,  toward  any  man,  that  when  men  come  for  advice 
God  may  inspire  me  to  give  them  the  advice  that  will  encourage  them 
and  comfort  them,  that  in  all  my  ministry  the  spirit  of  God  may  char- 
acterize my  acts. 

May  God  bless  us,  I  pray  in  Jesus'  name.  Amen. 


138  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  2 


Third  Dan 


ELDER  ALBERT  E.  BOWEN 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

As  I  have  listened  to  the  various  speakers  during  this  confer- 
ence, I  have  been  impressed  with  the  persistence  of  one  theme.  Every 
speaker  has  urged  us  all  to  greater  fidelity  to  principles  and  a  closer 
conformance  in  practice  to  the  teachings  of  our  belief.  Now  I  come 
to  think  of  it,  I  can't  remember  any  time  when  this  was  not  so.  I 
have  no  remembrance  of  sermons  in  our  religious  services  which  did 
not  exhort  the  congregation  to  live  in  closer  harmony  with  gospel 
teachings.    Always  the  admonition  is  to  do  better. 

Admonition  to  Do  Better 

So  characteristic  is  this  feature  that  I  am  led  to  wonder  if 
listeners  might  not  sometimes  be  tempted  to  ask,  "Aren't  you  ever 
satisfied?"  "Can  you  not  tell  us  for  once  that  we  are  doing  well 
enough?''  I  cannot  remember  ever  having  heard  such  complacency 
expressed.  I  have  heard  plenty  of  commendation  for  the  good  done 
and  encouragement  for  the  advancement  made.  I  have  heard  re- 
citals of  incidents  evidencing  individual  deeds  of  great  sublimity 
wherein  men  have  risen  to  lofty  heights  of  spiritual  and  moral 
grandeur.  These  have  been  acknowledged  as  benefactors  of  man- 
kind and  extolled  as  exemplars  of  what  is  praiseworthy.  But  always 
such  men  and  deeds  are  held  forth  as  exhibitions  of  the  inherent 
human  capacity  to  rise  above  baser  instincts  and  climb  to  higher 
standards  of  goodness.  Their  attainments,  it  will  be  noted,  are 
rehearsed  for  their  admonitory  value — as  a  basis  for  enticing  others, 
in  emulation,  to  improve  themselves  by  struggling  upward  to  the  high 
plane  achieved  by  their  exemplars.  So  always  the  same  exhortation, 
whether  expressed  in  direct  terms  or  by  manifest  implication,  is 
there,  urging  us  on  to  do  better,  to  conform  to  the  standards  of  our 
high  ideal. 

Moreover,  I  am  persuaded  on  reflection  that  such  will  and  should 
always  be  the  case.  There  can  be  no  end  to  importunings  for  im- 
provement because  improvement,  growth,  progress,  self-betterment 
is  a  concept  basic  to  our  creed.  It  is  a  cardinal  principle  going  to 
the  depths  and  bottomed  on  the  meaning  and  purpose  of  life. 

The  Gospel  Plan 

The  gospel  is  the  revelation  of  God  for  the  salvation  of  man. 
Coming  from  God  it  is  perfect,  the  authentic  plan  for  right  living. 
If  observed  in  its  completeness,  it  will  make  men  perfect,  and  ultimate 
individual  perfection,  according  to  gospel  teachings,  is  the  goal  of 
life,  its  real  purpose.  When  men  attain  it  they  will  be  saved,  which 
is  the  ultimate  of  all  hopes  and  aspirations,  the  inspiration  for  all 


ELDER  ALBERT  E.  BOW  EN 


139 


striving.  In  that  matchless  sermon  delivered  from  the  mountainside, 
Jesus  admonished  his  listeners: 

Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven 
is  perfect.  (Matt.  5:48.) 

And  Paul  and  Timothy,  writing  to  the  Philippians  said  of  the  Savior 
that  he, 

.  .  .  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal 
with  God.    (Phil.  2:6.) 

Human  Frailties 

But  men  are  mortal  and  beset  by  human  frailties.  They  are 
enticed  by  the  pressures  of  immediate  carnal  desire  to  depart  from 
the  high  standards  of  the  perfect  law.  When  they  are  under  the 
influence  of  an  exalted  occasion,  they  make  high  resolves.  They 
firmly  determine  to  avoid  past  mistakes  and  to  do  better.  But  gone 
out  from  under  the  spell  of  that  influence  and  absorbed  in  the  com- 
plicated pursuits  of  life,  they  find  difficulty  in  holding  fast  to  their 
noble  purposes.  In  competition  with  their  fellows  they  are  influenced 
by  the  natural  instinct  to  play  a  winning  game.  An  opportunity 
presents  itself  to  turn  a  good  deal,  to  outsmart  a  fellow  man,  or 
profit  at  another's  expense  by  suppressing  some  facts  or  misrepresent- 
ing others,  or  practising  some  other  form  of  deception.  Or  it  may 
be  that  they  see  a  chance  to  gain  advantage  by  evil  speaking  about 
a  rival  or  to  gratify  a  debasing  appetite  or  a  lustful  passion,  and 
under  the  pressure  of  the  immediate  impulse  the  high  resolve  is 
dimmed,  the  noble  determination  submerged,  and  they  slip  below  the 
standard  of  their  ideal.  So  it  is  essential  that  they  come  again, 
and  frequently,  under  the  influence  which  kindles  anew  the  warmth 
of  spirit  in  which  good  resolutions  are  begotten,  that  they  may  go 
out  fortified  to  withstand  the  pressures  of  temptation  which  lure  them 
into  false  ways.  Happily,  if  they  refresh  themselves  frequently 
enough  under  ennobling  influences,  the  spirit  of  repentance  will  be 
at  work  with  them,  and  they  will  make  conquest  of  some  temptations 
— rise  above  them — and  advance  thus  far  toward  their  final  goal. 

Resolution  to  Do  Good 

That  is  one  reason  why,  when  we  congregate  together,  we  must 
always  and  forever  be  admonished  and  urged  and  inspired  to  renew 
and  strengthen  our  good  determinations,  by  degrees  to  correct  our 
imperfections  and  advance  in  the  scale  of  goodness.  So  long  as 
men  are  subject  to  be  lured  by  ignoble  desires  from  the  perfect  law 
of  life,  they  need  constant  reminders  to  bring  them  back  and  fortify 
them  against  repeated  departures.  So  long  as  that  condition  obtains, 
which  is  throughout  mortality,  just  so  long  will  it  be  needful  that 


140  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  2 


Third  Day 


religious  services  be  devoted  to  admonition  and  persuasion  and, 
if  may  be,  to  inspiring  with  the  resolution  to  withstand  evil  and 
cleave  to  the  good — to  conquer  even  the  desire  to  yield  to  debasing 
appetites  or  passions  or  to  lower  themselves  to  the  level  of  ignoble 
deeds. 

I  trust,  therefore,  that  none  of  us  shall  feel  that  admonitions 
and  exhortations  and  even  reprovings  are  offered  in  the  spirit  of 
complaining  or  of  chastisement,  but  rather  as  reminders  of  the 
necessity  in  our  own  self-interest  of  moving  forward  to  higher  planes. 
It  is  one  of  the  prime  offices  of  religion  and  of  worshiping  assemblies 
that  interest  should  be  centered  on  the  grandeur  of  purity  and  per- 
fection of  life.  It  has  ever  been  so,  and  is  not  something  peculiar 
to  our  day.  It  is  a  practice  as  old  as  history  and  must  endure  to 
the  end  of  time. 

Early  Christian  Exhortations 

If  you  go  back  to  the  early  history  of  the  Christian  Church, 
you  will  find  it  there.  The  epistles  of  Paul,  for  example,  are  full  of 
chidings  for  transgressions,  pleadings  to  forsake  evil  ways  and  ex- 
hortations to  live  righteously. 

Know  ye  not, 

he  wrote  to  the  Corinthians, 

that  the  unrighteous  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God?     Be  not 
deceived:  neither  fornicators,  nor  idolaters,  nor  adulterers,  .  .  . 

Nor  thieves,  nor  covetous,  nor  drunkards,  nor  revilers,  nor  ex- 
tortioners, shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.  (I  Cor.  6:9-10.) 

He  also  pleaded  with  them  to  put  away  envyings  and  strife  and 
dissensions,  which  he  denounced  as  carnal  and  not  compatible  with 
the  spirit  which  belonged  to  those  who  had  accepted  the  Christ. 
The  things  he  warned  against  are  such  as  reveal  blemishes  in  human 
behavior  and  make  manifest  its  imperfections. 

So  Peter  in  his  epistle  addressed  to  the  saints  in  Pontus,  Galatia, 
Cappadocia,  Asia,  and  Bithynia  urges 

.  .  .  laying  aside  all  malice,  and  all  guile,  hypocrisies,  and  envies, 
and  all  evil  speakings.  (I  Peter  2:1.) 

He  reminded  them  that  in  times  past,  before  Christ  had  been  preached 
to  them,  they  had  walked  in  lasciviousness,  lusts,  excess  of  wine, 
revelings,  banquetings,  and  abominable  idolatries  and  admonished 
them  that  they  must  now  make  an  end  of  these  things.  He  exhorted 
them  to  patience  in  persecution,  long-suffering,  endurance  of  scorn, 
if  need  be,  because  of  forsaking  former  ways  to  humility,  charity, 
and  steadfastness  in  the  faith,  husbands  and  wives  respecting  and 
fortifying  each  other.   (See  I  Peter  3.) 


ELDER  ALBERT  E.  BOW  EN 


141 


These  expounders  of  the  early  Christian  faith,  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served, were  not  content  to  deal  in  abstractions  or  to  gloss  over 
evil  doings  lest  some  might  take  offense.  They  particularized  to  the 
degree  that  no  one  could  be  left  in  doubt  as  to  what  they  meant. 
They  neither  compromised  principles  nor  softened  their  censure  of 
wrong.  Thus,  Paul,  after  the  sweeping  generalization  that  the 
"unrighteous  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God,"  proceeds  to  tell 
specifically  some  of  the  things  which  make  men  unrighteous  and 
unfit  for  the  kingdom.  The  unrighteous  include  thieves,  the  covetous, 
drunkards,  revilers,  and  extortioners,  as  well  as  those  whose  hearts 
are  so  eaten  out  with  envy  that  they  become  breeders  of  strife  and 
dissensions.  Peter  expands  the  list  of  things  that  belong  to  the 
qualities  of  unrighteousness  to  include  malice,  guile,  hypocrisies, 
evil  speaking,  lasciviousness,  lusts,  revelings,  and  abominable  idola- 
tries. These  no  doubt  were  practices  indulged  by  the  particular 
congregations  to  whom  Paul  and  Peter  wrote. 

If  you  will  take  the  trouble  to  go  through  the  gospels  and  the 
letters  and  epistles  and  narratives  of  the  men  whom  Jesus  com- 
missioned to  carry  his  message  and  perpetuate  it  in  the  world,  you 
cannot  help  noting  the  striking  sameness  of  evil  things  they  exhorted 
against  with  the  deeds  and  habits  which  fall  under  censure  today. 
The  catalogue  of  vices  seems  to  have  been  fairly  complete  way 
back  in  that  remote  period.  There  hasn't  been  very  much  added, 
and  there  isn't  much  to  subtract  from  the  list.  After  all  the  inter- 
vening centuries  of  teaching,  we  still  need  the  same  admonitions 
against  the  same  vices.  Neither  has  there  been  any  virtue  added 
to  Christ's  teaching.  These  facts  perhaps  ought  not  to  prove  so 
startling  as  they  may  seem  when  recognition  of  them  first  bursts 
upon  our  consciousness. 


Struggle  for  Perfection 

The  persistence  of  these  human  frailties  from  the  beginning  of 
the  race  till  now  is  but  an  indication  of  the  heritage  of  mortality 
rooted  down  deep  in  it.  The  age-old  urging  to  conquer  them 
attests  that  mortal  imperfections  are  antagonistic  to  other  instincts 
native  to  the  human  family.  There  is  then  set  up  in  the  individual 
a  conflict  between  the  opposing  forces  of  good  and  evil.  We  should 
accordingly  expect  the  vices  and  the  virtues  respectively,  to  be 
essentially  of  the  same  nature  till  the  conflict  is  over,  though  there 
may  be  differences  of  degree  and  of  manifestation.  The  conquest 
of  evil  by  the  good  is  the  struggle  of  life.  It  is  the  struggle  for 
perfection  and  the  attainment  of  salvation  which  is  supremacy  over 
evil.  We  must  not  be  too  discouraged  because  progress  is  slow, 
for  it  involves  working  changes  in  human  desires  and  inclinations. 
Perfection  has  to  be  achieved;  salvation  has  to  be  won.    They  do 


142  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2 


Third  Dsn 


not  come  as  free  bestowals.  The  process  seems  to  be  through 
winning  the  struggle  for  supremacy  between  human  imperfections 
and  the  mandates  of  the  God-given  perfect  law.  It  is  by  meeting 
adversities,  battling  down  obstacles,  rising  triumphant  over  opposing 
forces  that  man  builds  muscle  and  moral  and  intellectual  fibre  and 
spiritual  stamina.  It  is  the  process  by  which  he  has  built  up  his  amaz- 
ing mastery  in  the  physical  world  and  the  forces  that  operate  in  it 
reducing  them  to  servitude  and  ordering  them  to  his  bidding.  There 
is  no  such  thing  in  this  world  as  getting  something  for  nothing. 
Everything  has  its  price.  Every  step  forward  in  the  realm  of  human 
progress,  in  the  amazing  advance  of  man  in  his  mastery  in  the 
physical  world  has  come  out  of  grueling  toil  and  sweat,  heartbreaking 
disappointments  and  failures  and,  after  failure  returning  again  to 
the  struggle. 

The  heights  by  great  men  reached  and  kept 
Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight, 
But  they,  while  their  companions  slept, 
Were  toiling  upward  in  the  night. 

The  Ladder  of  Sr.  Augustine 

Henry  W.  Longfellow 

Practice  of  Virtues 

That  inexorable  law  is  operative  in  the  spiritual  realm  as  well  as  in 
the  temporal  domain.  It  is  the  law  of  life  operative  in  all  its  aspects 
that  progress,  growth,  advancement  are  the  result  of  struggle  and 
conquest.  In  the  spiritual  realm  the  struggle  is  between  good  and 
evil,  a  struggle  for  the  supremacy  of  righteousness.  There  is  only 
one  way  to  win  in  that  struggle,  and  that  is  to  practise  the  virtues  and 
cease  to  practise  evil.  The  formula  is  simple.  It  consists  in  adopt- 
ing as  habitual  behavior  that  set  of  principles  and  teachings  which 
collectively  we  call  the  gospel.  There  is  no  other  way.  Our  lives 
are  patterned,  our  natures  formed,  our  characters  established  by 
the  things  we  do  and  not  by  theoretical  professions  of  principles  or 
abstract  contemplations.  If  you  want  to  overcome  envy,  you  have 
to  practise  rejoicing  in  the  good  fortune  and  successes  and  attain- 
ments of  your  fellows;  if  you  want  to  purge  yourself  of  covetousness, 
you  have  to  practise  generosity  and  contentment  in  seeing  others 
prosper  as  you  would  like  yourself  to  prosper;  if  you  want  to  be  rid  of 
reviling,  you  must  practise  reverence  and  respect  for  worthy  things; 
if  you  want  to  avoid  drunkenness,  you  have  to  practise  sobriety;  if 
you  want  to  be  cleansed  of  lasciviousness,  you  have  to  practise 
continence  and  purity  of  thought;  if  you  want  to  conquer  thieving,  you 
must  practise  honesty;  if  you  want  to  be  free  of  the  vice  of  extortion, 
you  must  practise  benevolence  and  fairness  toward  others,  and  so 
on  we  might  go  till  we  have  enumerated  every  vice  and  its  opposing 
virtue  throughout  the  whole  catalogue  of  gospel  precepts.  Obey 
them  in  practice,  make  them  the  governing  feature  in  your  lives  and 
you  will  win  perfection,  and  hence  salvation. 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 


143 


Fidelity  to  Gospel  Law 

It  is  easy  to  conceive  that  greater  progress  might  have  been 
made  if  those  entrusted  with  the  teaching  of  the  gospel  law  had 
maintained  a  greater  fidelity  to  its  principles.  I  have  already  called 
attention  to  the  practice  during  apostolic  times  of  naming  the  evil 
practices  which  must  be  done  away  and  recommending  conformance 
to  the  saving  principles  of  the  Christian  teaching.  But  in  the  interest 
of  winning  converts  and  spreading  power  this  practice  was  relaxed 
to  suit  the  temper  of  the  world.  As  Macaulay  observed,  the  surest 
and  easiest  way  to  win  converts  is  to  lower  standards.  In  an  early 
century  a  great  deal  of  effort  was  expended  in  an  attempt  to  reconcile 
Christian  teaching  with  pagan  philosophy.  This  was  an  impossible 
task,  but  an  apparent  harmony  was  achieved  by  bending  Christian 
doctrines  into  conformity  which  resulted  in  its  adulteration  and  the 
consequent  weakening  or  destruction  of  its  saving  power.  It  did 
win  a  more  universal  favor,  facilitate  the  drawing  in  of  greater 
numbers,  but  at  a  devitalizing  cost  which  always  flows  from  com- 
promising principles  of  right.  It  was  even  brazenly  taught  by  men 
in  places  of  power,  entrusted  with  guidance,  in  the  interest  of  per- 
petuatinq  and  extending  their  sway,  that  certain  Christian  principles 
were  to  be  suppressed  because  not  congenial  to  people  qiven  over  to 
contrary  indulgences,  so  that,  as  Macaulay  declared:  ".  .  .  instead 
of  toiling  to  elevate  human  nature  to  the  noble  standard  fixed  by 
divine  precept  and  examole,"  the  standard  was  lowered  "till  it  was 
beneath  the  average  of  human  nature." 

Thus  was  sacrificed  the  true  office  of  divine  worship  and  guid- 
ance. Instead  of  holding  ud  before  men  the  ideal  of  the  God-given 
and  perfect  gospel  law  and  fortifying  them  for  the  struggle  incident 
to  the  conquest  of  evil,  they  were  seduced  into  deadening  compro- 
mises with  sin,  and  progress  toward  the  ultimate  triumph  of  right- 
eousness was  immeasurably  retarded.  In  this  contemplation  it 
ought  to  be  clear  to  us  that  in  all  our  worshiping  assemblies  it  should 
be  accepted  as  established  usage,  to  be  received  without  resentment, 
but  gratefully,  that  the  law  of  God  should  be  reiterated  and  em- 
Dhasized  and  exhortation  given  for  conformance  of  life  thereto. 
You  leaders  cannot  discharge  your  duties  as  such  unless  you  see 
that  this  is  done.  Only  thus  can  we  be  regenerated  by  the  gospel's 
saving  power  and  through  obedience  to  it  rise  triumphant  above 
our  mortal  imperfections,  which  may  God  grant  us  power  to  do,  I 
pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Amen. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

While  the  brethren  are  analyzing  the  rules  of  our  Heavenly 
Father  for  happiness,  as  they  have  done,  I  am  reminded  that  the 
missionary  field  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  is 


144 

Sunday,  October  2 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 


one  of  the  greatest  developers  of  character  that  is  known  in  the 
world  today.  I  have  received  letters  in  the  last  few  days,  one  from 
the  eastern  part  of  South  Africa.  Two  of  our  missionaries  had  been 
sent  into  a  section  where  there  had  not  been  any  missionary  work 
done  for  a  long  time,  if  ever,  and  instead  of  going  to  the  poor  they 
sought  out  those  who  were  well-to-do  and  had  the  time  to  listen  to 
them,  and  the  result  has  been  that  meetings  have  been  opened  in  clubs 
and  other  organizations  to  these  two  young  men. 

The  purpose  of  the  invitation  was  that  they  might  pass  on  to 
the  larger  groups  some  of  the  truths  that  these  young  missionaries 
had  defended  in  the  presence  of  individuals.  It  is  marvelous  how 
far  it  goes. 

I  also  received  another  letter  recently  from  South  America  from 
a  young  man  who  was  just  made  an  assistant  to  the  president  of 
one  of  our  missions,  a  counselor  to  the  president  of  the  mission. 
When  that  young  man's  mother  was  living  in  Scotland  during 
World  War  I  she  became  acquainted  with  a  young  man  in  the  Air 
Service  and  she  came  to  me  one  day  after  the  war  was  over  (I 
happened  to  be  in  England  at  the  time  and  was  president  of  the 
European  Mission);  she  told  me  she  had  become  interested  in  a 
young  man  but  he  was  not  a  member  of  the  Church.  He  had  proposed 
marriage  to  her  and  she  did  not  know  what  to  do  about  it.  I  said, 
"Do  you  think  you  can  convert  him  by  living  a  righteous  life  if  you 
marry  him?"  She  said,  "I  can  try."  The  result  was  they  were  mar- 
ried. It  was  my  pleasure  later  after  they  had  moved  to  this  part  of 
the  world  to  see  her  with  two  fine  sons.  One  of  them  filled  a  wonder- 
ful mission  in  Texas  and  that  section  of  the  country  and  is  now 
active  in  the  Church  in  California;  the  other  one,  to  whom  I  have 
referred,  is  in  South  America.  She  only  had  two  sons,  but  she  did 
what  I  had  hoped  she  would  do,  she  lived  such  a  consistent  life,  such 
a  considerate  life,  that  she  finally  won  her  husband,  without  preach- 
ing to  him,  to  a  desire  to  belong  to  the  Church  that  she  belonged  to, 
because  he  wanted  the  privilege,  and  he  found  he  could  get  it  if  he 
was  faithful,  of  having  that  wife  and  his  children  for  all  eternity.  The 
gospel  goes  so  far  in  so  many  ways,  awakening  us  to  our  oppor- 
tunities, that  sometimes  we  do  not  appreciate  it. 

I  am  sure  that  today  we  have  been  fed  the  bread  of  life  if  we 
will  remember  the  things  we  have  heard,  and  there  is  one  thing  I  hope 
you  will  all  remember.  One  time  after  I  had  finished  talking  to  a 
large  audience  a  man  came  up  to  me  and  said,  "Brother  Smith,  you 
have  been  talking  to  me."  I  think  every  one  of  us  must  feel  that  these 
brethren  have  been  talking  to  us,  not  to  sombody  else,  and  if  we  im- 
prove ourselves  first  then  we  will  be  able  to  improve  our  neighbors 
and  that  is  our  privilege. 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  145 


President  George  Albert  Smith: 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  will  now  sing  another  one  of  our  old-time 
hymns,  "Though  Deepening  Trials."  The  closing  prayer  will  be 
offered  by  President  J.  Earl  Lewis  of  West  Utah  Stake,  after  which 
this  conference  will  stand  adjourned  until  2  o'clock  this  afternoon. 

The  proceedings  of  the  sessions  will  be  broadcast  over  all  those 
stations  that  you  have  heard  about  several  times  in  this  conference 
and  the  proceedings  will  also  be  televised  over  station  KSL  on 
channel  5. 

This  afternoon  the  audience  should  be  in  their  seats  not  later 
than  ten  minutes  before  the  hour  of  opening  the  meeting.  The 
meeting  is  supposed  to  start  at  2  o'clock. 

Any  important  messages  and  calls  that  we  might  have  will  be 
announced  at  the  dismissal  of  this  meeting  over  the  loud-speaker 
on  the  grounds.  Everyone  would  do  well  to  listen  and  see  whether 
they  are  wanted. 

The  choir  music  for  this  session  has  been  furnished  by  the 
Tabernacle  Choir  with  Elder  J.  Spencer  Cornwall  conducting  and 
Elder  Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ. 

In  the  midst  of  this  world's  sorrow  and  distress  we  have  listened 
in  the  House  of  the  Lord  to  the  voice  of  inspiration.  The  Choir 
will  sing  to  us  a  hymn  that  is  very  appropriate  if  we  will  all  pay 
attention  to  it,  "Though  Deepening  Trials  Throng  Your  Way." 

The  Choir  sang  the  hymn,  "Though  Deepening  Trials  Throng 
Your  Way." 

Benediction  was  offered  by  President  J.  Earl  Lewis  of  the  West 
Utah  Stake. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2  p.m. 


THIRD  DAY 
AFTERNOON  MEETING 

The  concluding  session  of  the  Conference  was  held  Sunday  af- 
ternoon, October  2,  at  2:00. 

Again  a  great  concourse  of  people  came  together  to  listen  to  the 
proceedings  of  the  Conference.  The  Tabernacle  was  filled  to  capacity, 
the  Assembly  Hall  was  fully  occupied,  and  great  numbers  assembled 
upon  the  grounds  of  Temple  Square. 

President  George  Albert  Smith  presided  and  conducted  the  serv- 
ices at  this  meeting. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  was  in  attendance  and  furnished  the  choir 
singing,  under  the  leadership  of  J.  Spencer  Cornwall;  Alexander 
Schreiner  was  at  the  organ  console. 


146  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Day 


President  George  Albert  Smith: 

Again  may  I  suggest  to  the  ushers  that  they  encourage  people 
to  sit  as  closely  together  as  possible  so  that  those  who  are  standing 
may,  some  of  them,  find  seats.  I  am  sure  you  will  all  be  happy  if 
you  know  that  others  are  comfortable. 

This  is  the  closing  session  of  the  120th  semi-annual  conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  con- 
vened in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City. 
Every  seat  is  filled  and  hundreds  of  people  are  standing.  The 
Assembly  Hall  is  filled  with  people  and  a  great  number  are  on  the 
grounds  listening  in. 

Of  the  General  Authorities  all  are  present  except  Elder  Alma 
Sonne  of  the  Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  who  is  in  Europe  in  charge 
of  the  European  missions;  Elder  Thomas  E.  McKay,  also  of  the 
Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  who  is  at  home  convalescing  by  direction 
of  his  physicians;  and  President  S.  Dilworth  Young  of  the  First 
Council  of  Seventy,  who  is  in  New  England  in  charge  of  that  mission. 

These  services  will  be  broadcast  in  the  Assembly  Hall  over  a 
loud-speaking  system  and  by  television. 

The  proceedings  of  this  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL 
at  Salt  Lake  City  and  by  arrangement  through  KSL  over  the  fol- 
lowing stations:  KEYY  at  Pocatello.  KVNU  at  Locran.  KSUB  at 
Cedar  Citv.  KSVC  at  Richfield.  KfM  at  Vernal,  KID  at  Idaho 
Falls,  and  KGEM  at  Boise. 

It  will  also  be  televised  over  KSL  television  station,  channel  5. 

Any  important  messages  and  calls  that  come  to  us  for  persons 
supposed  to  be  in  attendance  at  the  conference  will  be  announced 
at  the  dismissal  of  this  meeting  over  the  loud-speaking  system  on 
the  grounds.  Everyone  would  do  well  to  listen  carefully  to  such 
announcements. 

The  choir  music  for  this  session  will  be  rendered  by  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir,  Elder  J-  Spencer  Cornwall  conducting  and  Elder  Alex- 
ander Schreiner  at  the  organ.   

We  will  begin  the  afternoon  services  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
singing,  "Holy  Art  Thou." 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Gordon  S. 
Brewerton  of  Alberta  Stake,  Canada. 

Singing  by  the  Choir,  "Holy  Art  Thou." 

The  opening  prayer  was  offered  by  President  Gordon  S. 
Brewerton  of  the  Alberta  Stake. 

The  Choir  sang  "Give  Thanks  Unto  The  Lord." 

President  David  O.  McKay  presented  the  General  Authorities, 
General  Officers,  and  General  Auxiliary  Officers  of  the  Church,  and 
they  were  unanimously  sustained  as  follows: 


PRESENTATION  OF  AUTHORITIES  147 


GENERAL  AUTHORITIES  OF  THE  CHURCH 

The  First  Presidency 

George  Albert  Smith,  Prophet,  Seer  and  Revelator,  and  President 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.,  First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 
David  O.  McKay,  Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

President  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 
George  F.  Richards 

Quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

George  F.  Richards  Harold  B.  Lee 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith  Spencer  W.  Kimball 

Stephen  L  Richards  Ezra  Taft  Benson 

John  A.  Widtsoe  Mark  E.  Petersen 

Joseph  F.  Merrill  Matthew  Cowley 

Albert  E.  Bowen  Henry  D.  Moyle 

Patriarch  to  the  Church 

Eldred  G.  Smith 

The  counselors  in  the  First  Presidency,  the  Twelve  Apostles,  and  the 
Patriarch  to  the  Church  as  Prophets,  Seers  and  Revelators 


Assistants  to  the  Twelve 

Marion  G.  Romney  Clifford  E.  Young 

Thomas  E.  McKay  Alma  Sonne 

Trustee-in-Trust 

George  Albert  Smith 

As  Trustee-in-Trust  for  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints 

The  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

Levi  Edgar  Young  Oscar  A.  Kirkham 

Antoine  R.  Ivins  Seymour  Dilworth  Young 

Richard  L.  Evans  Milton  R.  Hunter 

Bruce  R.  McConkie 

Presiding  Bishopric 

LeGrand  Richards,  Presiding  Bishop 
Joseph  L.  Wirthlin,  First  Counselor 
Thorpe  B.  Isaacson,  Second  Counselor 


148  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

SiimJ.li/,   October  2  Third  Day 

Church  Historian  and  Recorder 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  with  A.  William  Lund  as  Assistant 

Church  Board  of  Education 

George  Albert  Smith  John  A.  Widtsoe 

J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.  Adam  S.  Bennion 

David  O.  McKay  Joseph  F.  Merrill 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith  Franklin  L.  West 

Stephen  L  Richards  Albert  E.  Bowen 

Frank  Evans,  Secretary  and  Treasurer 

Commissioner  of  Education 

Franklin  L.  West 

Seminary  Supervisors 

J.  Karl  Wood 
Joy  Dunyon 

Auditing  and  Finance  Committee 

Orval  W.  Adams  George  S.  Spencer 

Albert  E.  Bowen  Harold  H.  Bennett 

Tabernacle  Choir 

Lester  F.  Hewlett,  President 
J.  Spencer  Cornwall,  Conductor 
Richard  P.  Condie,  Assistant  Conductor 

Organists 

Alexander  Schreiner  Frank  W.  Asper 

Roy  M.  Darley,  Assistant 

CHURCH  WELFARE  COMMITTEE 
Advisers 

John  A.  Widtsoe  Alma  Sonne 

Albert  E.  Bowen  Antoine  R.  Ivins 

Harold  B.  Lee  Oscar  A.  Kirkham 

Marion  G.  Romney  LeGrand  Richards 

Thomas  E.  McKay  Joseph  L.  Wirthlin 

Clifford  E.  Young  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson 

General  Presidency  of  Relief  Society 

General  Committee 


Henry  D.  Moyle,  Chairman 
Harold  B.  Lee,  Managing  Director 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  149 


Marion  G.  Romney,  Assistant  Managing  Director 
William  E.  Ryberg  Mark  B.  GarfF 

Roscoe  W.  Eardley  Leonard  E.  Adams 

Paul  C.  Child  J.  Leonard  Love 

T.  C.  Stayner  W.  T.  Lawrence 

Lorenzo  H.  Hatch 

GENERAL  AUXILIARY  OFFICERS  OF  THE  CHURCH 

Relief  Society 

Belle  Smith  Spafford,  President 
Marianne  Clark  Sharp,  First  Counselor 
Velma  N.  Simonsen,  Second  Counselor 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted 

Deseret  Sunday  School  Union 

George  R.  Hill,  General  Superintendent 
A.  Hamer  Reiser,  First  Assistant  Superintendent 
David  Lawrence  McKay,  Second  Assistant  Superintendent 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted 

Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association 

Elbert  R.  Curtis,  General  Superintendent 
A.  Walter  Stevenson,  First  Assistant  Superintendent 
David  S.  King,  Second  Assistant  Superintendent 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted 

Young  Women's  Mutual  Improvement  Association 

Bertha  S.  Reeder,  President 
Emily  H.  Bennett,  First  Counselor 
LaRue  C.  Longden,  Second  Counselor 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted 

Primary  Association 

Adele  Cannon  Howells,  President 
LaVern  W.  Parmley,  First  Counselor 
Dessie  G.  Boyle,  Second  Counselor 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted 


President  George  Albert  Smith: 

You  have  just  participated  in  sustaining  the  General  Authorities 
of  the  Church,  and  general  officers.  I  wish  all  the  world  could  see 
that  one  part  of  our  program.  I  wish  they  could  all  be  here  and  see 
this  audience,  as  far  as  that  is  concerned.    All  those  who  represent 


150  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Day 


and  direct  the  affairs  of  this  Church  are  sustained  by  the  members 
of  it  and  everyone  who  is  in  good  standing  in  the  Church  has  the 
opportunity  to  manifest  his  or  her  pleasure  or  displeasure  as  the 
case  may  be. 

These  officers  have  been  presented  by  President  McKay. 
President  George  F.  Richards,  who  is  president  of  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve,  will  now  address  us,  and  following  him,  Bishop  Thorpe 
B.  Isaacson  of  the  Presiding  Bishopric. 

PRESIDENT  GEORGE  F.  RICHARDS 

President  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  dear  brethren,  sisters,  and  friends,  here  present  and  on  the 
air,  I  greet  you  in  affectionate  fellowship  as  sons  and  daughters  of 
God.  which  we  are,  and  pray  God's  blessings  upon  you,  that  the 
light  of  Christ  may  direct  you  in  the  straight  and  narrow  way  that 
leads  to  life  everlasting. 

Love  of  God 

When  the  hymn  was  announced  in  the  afternoon  meeting  yester- 
day, "God  So  Loved  the  World,"  the  thought  occurred  to  me, 
that  is  the  title  of  that  which  I  desire  to  say  when  called  upon  to 
speak. 

Completing  the  quotation: 

For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life.  (John  3:16.) 

This  represents  the  love  of  the  Father  for  us,  his  children. 
Then  I  thought  of  another  scripture: 

...  I  lay  down  my  life  for  the  sheep. 

No  man  taketh  it  from  me,  but  I  lay  it  down  myself.  .  .  .  (John  10:15, 

18.) 

Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life 
for  his  friends.  (John  15:13.) 

Taking  these  two  quotations  together,  we  see  the  gift  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Son  to  the  world,  of  all  that  the  atonement  meant 
of  mental  and  physical  suffering  in  life,  and  in  his  death  upon  the 
cross,  of  which  it  can  be  said  in  truth,  that  as  a  gift  to  mankind  it 
was  the  greatest  ever  given;  a  sacrifice,  the  greatest  ever  made;  a 
service,  the  greatest  ever  rendered;  a  demonstration  of  love  such 
as  is  possessed  only  by  the  Gods. 

Work  of  Christ  Traced 

I  would  like,  if  possible,  for  us  to  become  better  acquainted 
with  our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ,  and  his  life's  work,  that 


PRESIDENT  CjEORGE  F.  RICHARDS  151 


knowing  him  better,  we  might  love  him  more,  and  loving  him  more, 
serve  him  better,  and  thereby  obtain  eternal  life,  God's  greatest 
gift  to  man. 

Quoting  from  Isaiah,  53rd  Chapter: 

He  is  despised  and  rejected  of  men;  a  man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted 
with  grief:  and  we  hid  as  it  were  our  faces  from  him;  he  was  despised, 
and  we  esteemed  him  not. 

Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows:  yet  we 
did  esteem  him  stricken,  smitten  of  God,  and  afflicted. 

But  he  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for 
our  iniquities:  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him;  and  with 
his  stripes  we  are  healed. 

All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray;  we  have  turned  every  one  to 
his  own  way;  and  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all. 
(Isaiah  53:3-6.) 

Under  the  direction  of  the  Father,  he  created  the  heavens  and 
the  earth  and  all  things  existing  thereon,  as  attested  by  scriptures. 

All  things  were  made  by  him;  and  without  him  was  not  any  thing 
made^that  was  made.  (John  1:3.) 

And  worlds  without  number  have  I  created;  .  .  .  and  by  the  Son  I 
created  them,  which  is  mine  Only  Begotten.  (Moses  1:33.) 

Behold,  I  am  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  who  created 
the  heavens  and  the  earth.  (D.  &  C.  14:9.) 

Jesus  Christ  ministered  as  the  God  of  this  world  from  the  be- 
ginning until  he  came  to  earth  in  the  meridian  of  time. 

And  God  spake  unto  Moses,  and  said  unto  him,  I  am  the  Lord; 

And  I  appeared  unto  Abraham,  unto  Isaac,  and  unto  Jacob,  by  the 
name  of  God  Almighty,  but  by  my  name  Jehovah  was  I  not  known  to 
them.  (Exodus  6:2-3.) 

Lift  up  your  head  and  be  of  good  cheer;  for  behold,  the  time  is  at 
hand  and  on  this  night  shall  the  sign  be  given,  and  on  the  morrow  come 
I  into  the  world.  (Ill  Nephi  1:13.) 

Physical  Appearance  of  Christ 

The  following  is  taken  from  "Conscript  Fathers."   I  quote: 

In  these  our  days  appeared  a  man  named  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  yet 
living  among  us,  and  of  the  Gentiles  is  accepted  as  a  Prophet  of  great 
truth;  but  his  own  disciples  call  him  the  Son  of  God.  He  hath  raised  the 
dead  and  cured  all  manner  of  diseases.  He  is  a  man  of  stature  some- 
what tall  and  comely,  with  a  ruddy  countenance,  such  as  the  beholder 
may  both  love  and  fear.  His  hair  is  the  color  of  a  filbert  when  fully 
ripe,  plain  to  his  ear,  whence  downward  it  is  more  of  orient  color,  curling 
and  waving  on  his  shoulders;  in  the  middle  of  his  head  is  a  seam  of  long 
hair,  after  the  manner  of  the  Nazarites.  His  forehead  is  plain  and  delicate, 
the  face  without  spot  or  wrinkle,  beautiful  with  a  comely  red;  his  nose 
and  mouth  are  exactly  formed;  his  beard  is  the  color  of  his  hair  and 
thick,  not  of  any  length,  but  forked.  In  reproving  he  is  terrible;  in 
admonishing,  courteous;  in  speaking,  very  modest  and  wise;  in  proportion 
of  body,  well-shaped.  None  has  seen  him  laugh,  many  have  seen  him 
weep.  A  man,  for  his  surpassing  beauty,  excelling  the  children  of  men. 
(Heart  Throbs,  Vol.  1,  page  425.) 


152  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2 


Third  Dan 


The  following  pen  picture  of  the  Savior  was  written  by  J.  A. 
Francis  of  Los  Angeles  and  is  just  as  true  as  if  it  had  been  spoken 
by  one  of  the  prophets: 

"Here  is  a  man  who  was  born  in  an  obscure  village,  the  child 
of  a  peasant  woman.  He  grew  up  in  another  obscure  village.  He 
worked  in  a  carpenter  shop  until  he  was  thirty,  and  then  for  three 
years  he  was  an  itinerant  preacher.  He  never  wrote  a  book.  He 
never  held  an  office.  He  never  went  to  college.  He  never  put  his 
foot  inside  a  big  city.  He  never  traveled  two  hundred  miles  from 
the  place  where  he  was  born.  He  never  did  one  of  the  things  that 
usually  accompanies  greatness.  He  had  no  credentials  but  himself. 
He  had  nothing  to  do  with,  in  this  world,  except  the  naked  power 
of  his  divine  manhood. 

"While  still  a  young  man,  the  tide  of  popular  opinion  turned 
against  him.  His  friends  ran  away.  One  of  them  denied  him;  an- 
other betrayed  him.  He  was  turned  over  to  his  enemies.  He  went 
through  the  mockery  of  a  trial.  He  was  nailed  on  the  cross  between 
two  thieves.  His  executioners  gambled  for  the  only  piece  of  property 
he  had  on  earth  while  he  was  yet  dying,  and  that  was  his  cloak. 
When  he  was  dead,  he  was  taken  down  and  laid  in  a  borrowed 
grave  through  the  pity  of  a  friend. 

"Nineteen  wide  centuries  have  come  and  gone,  and  today  he  is 
the  center  of  the  human  race  and  the  leader  of  the  column  of  pro- 
gress. I  am  far  within  the  mark  when  I  say  that  all  the  armies  that 
ever  marched,  and  all  the  navies  that  were  ever  built,  and  all  the 
parliaments  that  ever  sat,  and  all  the  kings  that  ever  reigned  put 
together  have  not  affected  the  life  of  man  upon  this  earth  as  profit- 
ably as  has  that  one  solitary  man." 

Parallel  in  Lives  of  Savior-  and  Joseph  Smith 

In  the  life. and  accomplishments  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet, 
we  see  a  strong  resemblance  to  that  of  the  Savior.  When  the 
Savior  chose  his  twelve  disciples,  he  chose  them  from  the  humble 
walks  of  life.    It  is  the  Lord's  way. 

For  ye  see  your  calling,  brethren,  how  that  not  many  wise  men 
after  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called; 
But  God  hath  chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the 
wise;  and  God  hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound 
the  things  which  are  mighty; 

And  base  things  of  the  world,  and  things  which  are  despised,  hath 
God  chosen,  yea,  the  things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought  things 
that  are: 

That  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  presence.   (II  Corinthians  1:26-29.) 

Verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you,  my  servant  Joseph  Smith,  I  am 
well  pleased  with  your  offering  and  acknowledgements,  which  you  have 
made;  for  unto  this  end  have  I  raised  you  up,  that  I  might  show  forth 
my  wisdom  through  the  weak  things  of  the  earth.  (D.  6  C.  124:1.) 


ELDER  THORPE  B.  ISAACSON  153 


Joseph  Smith  was  born  of  humble  parentage  in  an  obscure  vil- 
lage. He  never  went  to  college  nor  attended  high  school,  but  he 
accomplished  in  the  short  period  of  his  life  of  thirty-eight  and  one- 
half  years  more  than  any  other  mortal  man  of  his  time,  if  not  of  all 
time.  Joseph  Smith  and  his  brother  Hyrum  were  martyrs  to  the 
truth.  They  were  murdered  in  cold  blood  by  a  disguised  and  ruth- 
less mob. 

During  the  short  life  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  he  was 
instrumental  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  in  the  establishment  of  the 
Church  and  kingdom  of  God  on  earth  as  seen  in  vision  by  the 
Prophet  Daniel.  Through  him  the  everlasting  gospel  in  its  fulness 
was  restored,  with  all  its  gifts,  blessings,  principles,  and  ordinances, 
and  the  power  and  authority  of  the  priesthood  to  administer  the 
ordinances  of  the  gospel  to  the  children  of  men,  who,  by  repentance 
and  obedience,  are  prepared  to  receive  them. 

The  works  of  Joseph  Smith  and  the  spirit  that  prompted  them 
live  on  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  his  followers  who  are  numbered 
by  the  hundreds  of  thousands  now  living  and  have  influenced  the 
lives  of  other  hundreds  of  thousands  who  have  gone  to  their  reward. 

More  than  a  century  has  passed  since  the  martyrdom  of  the 
Prophet,  but  his  works  and  the  spirit  which  actuated  them  are  in- 
creasing in  the  earth.  Many  have  died  for  the  religion  established 
by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  there  are  many  thousands  today 
who  would  do  likewise  if  necessary.  He  gave  his  life  for  the  cause 
and,  like  the  Savior,  sealed  his  testimony  with  his  blood. 

Personal  Testimony 

As  a  witness  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  I  bear  you  my  testimony 
that  God  the  Eternal  Father  lives,  a  glorified  and  exalted  being, 
having  a  body  of  flesh,  bones,  and  spirit  as  tangible  as  man's,  and 
that  he  has  revealed  himself  anew  to  the  world  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  whom  he  raised  up  to  be  the 
mighty  Prophet  of  the  last  days;  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God, 
the  Savior  and  Redeemer  of  the  world;  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a 
Prophet  of  the  Living  God;  and  that  the  work  in  which  we,  as 
Latter-day  Saints,  are  engaged  is  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
which  all  men  must  receive  if  they  would  be  saved  in  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

I  bear  this  testimony  to  you  and  to  all  the  world,  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  THORPE  B.  ISAACSON 

Second  Counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric 

President  Smith,  and  my  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  the  other  day 
as  we  were  attempting  to  guess  our  time  when  we  would  be  called 


154  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2 


Third  Day 


upon  to  speak,  Bishop  Wirthlin  spoke  and  said:  "No  man  knoweth 
the  day  nor  the  hour,"  and  he  was  not  referring  to  the  original  pas- 
sage of  scripture,  either. 

Gratitude  for  Choir 

I  know  we  are  all  grateful  for  this  choir  today.  I  thought  this 
morning  when  President  McKay  was  giving  the  number  of  mission- 
aries in  the  field,  probably  the  choir  should  be  included.  The  men 
of  the  choir  furnished  our  music  last  night  at  the  general  priesthood 
meeting,  and  it  was  very  beautiful,  and  this  morning  again  their 
songs  have  been  so  appropriate.  The  choir  comes  here  each  week, 
each  Thursday  evening,  and  each  Sunday  morning  early  to  practise. 
I  am  confident  that  we  are  all  very  proud  of  them.  They  are  a  choir 
of  service.  They  are  indeed  a  missionary  choir,  and  I  know  we  are 
grateful  to  the  conductor,  Brother  J.  Spencer  Cornwall,  and  the  fine 
organists  and  all  the  members  of  the  choir,  Brother  Lester  F.  Hewlett, 
the  president,  and  all  those  who  are  associated  with  him.  We 
cannot  think  of  the  choir  on  Sunday  morning  without  thinking  of 
the  Spoken  Word  by  our  beloved  brother  and  friend,  President 
Richard  L.  Evans. 

Strength  in  Prayer 

As  I  look  into  this  great  audience,  I  feel  very  weak  and  very 
humble,  and  I  pray  that  the  Lord  will  help  me.  I  have  prayed  to  the 
Lord,  not  once,  but  many  times  the  last  few  days,  and  I  pray  to  the 
Lord  first  because  I  believe  in  prayer,  and  second,  I  pray  to  the  Lord 
because  I  know  of  my  weaknesses  and  I  know  of  my  incapabilities, 
and  I  am  very  dependent  upon  the  help  of  the  Lord.  I  would  feel 
sorry  for  anyone  who  would  attempt  to  occupy  this  position  if  he  felt 
in  his  own  strength,  that  his  own  sufficiency,  was  enough.  I  will  be 
very  grateful  to  you  if  you  will  say  a  short  prayer  for  me,  because 
I  need  it  very  badly. 

Sometimes  I  have  wished  that  all  of  you  could  have  this  op- 
portunity for  just  a  moment,  not  because  I  think  you  would  enjoy 
it  any  more  than  I  do,  but  because  it  is  indeed  a  humbling  experience 
and  certainly  a  sobering  experience. 

I  have  felt  the  prayers  of  this  conference  were  very  strengthen- 
ing, indeed,  every  one  of  them.  I  have  enjoyed  the  words  of  our 
brethren.  I  love  them  as  men;  I  admire  and  respect  them. 

Prayer  is  indeed  a  privilege;  it  is  indeed  a  blessing;  and  it  is 
indeed  a  comfort.  Prayer  is  not  just  a  duty. 

Pageant  at  Hill  Cumop.ah 

I  had  made  some  study  and  preparation  to  discuss  a  subject  that 
I  thought  might  be  appropriate  at  this  conference,  but  I  am  not  going 
to  give  that  talk.  Instead,  if  you  will  pardon  me,  I  would  like  to 
share  with  you  an  experience  that  I  recently  had  at  Hill  Cumorah 
and  the  Sacred  Grove  at  Palmyra,  New  York. 


ELDER  THORPE  B.  ISAACSON  155 


I  am  grateful  for  the  privilege  of  being  in  Palmyra  at  the  time 
the  pageant  was  presented,  entitled  America's  Witness  for  Christ. 
This  pageant  was  presented  by  the  missionaries,  approximately  one 
hundred  and  ninety  of  them,  of  the  Eastern  States  Mission,  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Harold  I.  Hansen  of  the  Utah  State  Agricultural 
College  faculty,  and  President  George  Q.  Morris  of  the  Eastern 
States  Mission, 

The  pageant  is  the  story  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  The  rustic 
setting  of  Hill  Cumorah  is  the  stage  or  the  background  of  that 
pageant.  The  scenes  are  those  of  the  Angel  Moroni  receiving  his 
instructions  from  his  father  Mormon,  the  story  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  receiving  his  instructions  from  the  Angel  Moroni,  and  other 
scenes  of  the  Nephite  and  Lamanite  people,  the  story  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  and  the  great  message  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 

The  pageant  was  held  on  three  nights,  Thursday,  Friday,  and 
Saturday.  Thursday  evening,  the  first  night,  the  newspapers  esti- 
mated that  there  were  between  twelve  and  fifteen  thousand  people 
who  attended  that  pageant.  The  second  night  it  was  estimated  there 
were  between  twenty  and  twenty-five  thousand  people  who  attended 
the  pageant,  and  on  the  last  night,  the  third  evening,  it  was  estimated 
that  there  were  between  twenty-five  and  thirty-five  thousand  people 
assembled  to  witness  that  great  pageant. 

Non-Members  in  Attendance 

We  must  keep  in  mind  that  probably  ninety  percent  of  that 
great  gathering  were  non-members  of  the  Church.  To  me  it  was 
great  evidence  that  the  prejudice  and  ill  feeling,  though  not  entirely 
diminished,  was  certainly  at  a  low  ebb.  The  newspapers  of  the  cities 
in  New  York  were  very  liberal,  very  courteous,  and  very  praise- 
worthy of  that  great  pageant. 

The  highway  patrol  of  the  state  of  New  York  estimated  that 
there  were  thousands  of  carloads  of  people  the  last  night  who  could 
not  get  to  see  the  pageant  because  the  parking  lots  and  the  highways 
were  all  congested.  The  police  rendered  us  most  excellent  service. 

The  officials  of  those  cities  were  very  friendly.  It  was  reported 
that  one  of  the  businessmen  of  Palmyra  or  Rochester  stated  that  he 
thought  the  communities  should  assist  by  making  contributions  to  the 
pageant,  and  they  ought  to  make  a  collection  and  help  finance  that 
great  pageant.  Of  course,  our  appreciation  was  expressed  to  them, 
and  we  told  them  this  was  not  necessary;  nevertheless  it  was  the 
attitude  that  he  expressed  which  we  appreciated. 

Hundreds  of  the  homes  there  were  opened  to  people.  Many 
of  our  missionaris  while  they  were  there  at  Palmyra  preparing  for 
the  pageant,  stayed  in  the  homes  of  people  who  were  not  members 
of  the  Church. 

Blessing  Sought 

The  pageant  was  scheduled  for  nine-thirty  in  the  evening.  The 
dates  had  been  selected  when  the  moon  was  not  shining,  because  the 


156  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Day 

participants  wanted  darkness  of  the  night  on  the  hill.  All  the  lights 
were  turned  off  in  that  vicinity  at  the  beginning  of  the  pageant.  At 
nine-ten  every  night  those  missionaries  were  asked  to  assemble  at  a 
certain  wooded  spot  on  Hill  Cumorah,  behind  one  of  the  large  scenes, 
in  the  darkness.  There  was  that  great  audience  out  in  front,  not 
knowing  what  was  going  on,  but  there  those  missionaries  assembled 
every  night  at  nine-ten,  quietly,  in  a  circle,  huddled  together,  praying 
to  the  Lord  that  he  would  bless  that  pageant,  that  it  would  go  forward 
without  any  interruption  and  that  the  audience  would  partake  of  the 
spirit  of  the  pageant. 

I  remember  the  first  night  it  started  to  rain  about  six  o'clock. 
There  was  some  concern  whether  or  not  it  would  prevent  presenta- 
tion of  the  pageant.  It  is  all  outdoors:  the  stage,  the  audience,  and 
the  scenes.  I  remember  shaking  hands  with  two  fine  young  mission- 
aries who  had  their  pageant  costumes  on,  and  I  said  to  them,  as  I 
shook  hands  with  them,  "I  hope  the  rain  will  not  spoil  the  pageant." 

One  of  them  looked  me  straight  in  the  eye  and  he  said:  "Oh, 
Bishop,  don't  worry,  the  rain  will  not  spoil  the  pageant.  Nothing  will 
spoil  the  pageant,  because  the  elders  of  this  mission  have  united  our 
faith  and  called  upon  the  Lord  to  bless  this  pageant  that  the  message 
would  go  forward  to  the  thousands  of  people  who  assemble  to  witness 
it." 

Now  some  may  call  that  simple  faith,  but  I  call  that  most 
beautiful,  most  humble  faith.  By  the  time  the  pageant  was  ready  to 
start,  the  storm  had  ceased  and  the  stars  were  out  bright. 

It  was  stated  that  no  group  of  professionals  in  all  the  world 
could  present  that  pageant  as  those  humble  missionaries  presented  it 
because  their  hearts  and  souls  were  in  it  and  because  they  knew  this 
story  to  be  true.  They  were  living  that  story;  they  were  preaching 
that  story;  and  for  that  reason  great  honor  and  credit  is  due  those 
missionaries. 

Faith  Evidenced 

The  audience  was  kept  informed  of  the  pageant  proceedings  by 
narrators  who  were  speaking  over  a  central  loud-speaking  system. 
Beautiful  spotlights  were  flashed  upon  the  different  scenes  on  the 
Hill  Cumorah.  A  commercial  firm  was  employed  to  furnish  the  loud- 
speaking  system,  and  a  few  of  the  Mormon  missionaries  who  were 
mechanically  inclined  were  assigned  to  help  the  technician  with  the 
loud-speaking  system. 

The  last  night  the  technician  became  very  much  concerned  that 
the  loud-speaking  system  might  not  continue  to  operate,  and  he  told 
the  missionaries  he  did  not  know  what  to  do.  There  was  that  great 
audience  of  thousands  of  people.  They  could  not  follow  the  pageant 
without  the  loud-speaking  system  functioning,  because  some  of  the 
audience  were  a  block  away  from  the  Hill  and  from  the  scenes.  But 
as  he  became  concerned,  all  he  would  have  needed  to  do  was  to 


ELDER  THORPE  B.  ISAACSON  157 


ask  those  missionaries,  but  he  did  not  do  that,  so  they  took  it  in  their 
own  hands.  They  went  out  behind  that  truck  in  the  wooded  section 
of  Hill  Cumorah,  and  as  we  would  expect,  those  missionaries  knelt 
down  and  prayed  that  the  Lord  would  see  to  it  that  the  loud-speaking 
system  would  continue,  and  the  loud-speaking  system  did  continue 
until  the  pageant  was  over. 

That  kind  of  faith  is  the  kind  of  faith  that  we  have  been  hearing 
about  the  last  few  days  here.  That  is  the  kind  of  faith  that  draws 
men  close  to  God,  their  Eternal  Father.  May  I  quote  from  Alma 
just  a  word  about  that  same  kind  of  faith: 

Yea,  there  are  many  who  do  say:  If  thou  wilt  show  unto  us  a 
sign  from  heaven,  then  we  shall  know  of  a  surety;  then  we  shall  be- 
lieve. 

Now  I  ask,  is  that  faith?  Behold,  I  say  unto  you,  Nay;  for  if  a 
man  knoweth  a  thing  he  hath  no  cause  to  believe,  for  he  knoweth  it. 
And  now  as  I  said  concerning  faith — faith  is  not  to  have  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  things;  therefore  if  ye  have  faith  ye  hope  for  things  which 
are  not  seen,  which  are  true.  (Alma  32:17-18,  21.) 

May  I  digress  here,  just  a  little,  to  say  to  those  teachers  or  to 
any  philosophers  or  to  any  men  who  have  to  do  with  young  people, 
that  you  never  say  anything  or  do  anything  knowingly  or  unknow- 
ingly that  would  shock  that  beautiful  faith  in  the  lives  of  young 
people.  Conviction  kindles  conviction;  faith  promotes  faith;  and 
testimony  inspires  testimony. 

Faith  is  one  of  the  great  principles  of  the  Church.  Faith  is  that 
which  brought  our  forefathers  to  this  country.  I  am  grateful  for  the 
faith  of  my  grandfather  in  Denmark  where  he  accepted  the  gospel 
because  he  had  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  pageant  closed  the  third  night,  and  before  that  great  audi- 
ence, as  they  saw  the  last  scene,  four  missionaries,  in  the  darkness 
of  the  night,  with  a  brilliant  spotlight  flashed  upon  them,  stood  on 
top  of  Hill  Cumorah.  They  were  dressed  in  beautiful  long  white 
robes  and  each  of  them  with  his  bugle  turned  toward  that  beautiful 
monument  of  the  Angel  Moroni  and  played  in  unity,  "An  Angel 
From  On  High."  Those  thirty  thousand  people  could  not  have  wit- 
nessed that  scene  without  their  hearts  being  touched;  it  was  one 
of  the  most  thrilling  yet  touching  experiences  of  my  life. 

Conference  in  Sacred  Grove 

Never  in  my  life  have  I  appreciated,  probably,  as  I  did  that  very 
moment  what  that  beautiful  story  has  meant  to  us  as  a  people.  The 
next  day  following  that  great  pageant  those  same  missionaries  held 
their  missionary  conference  on  a  beautiful  Sabbath  morning  in  the 
Sacred  Grove.  They  had  held  two  sessions  there  Friday  and  Satur- 
day. Since  their  pageant  was  produced  at  night,  they  had  their  days 
for  their  conferences. 

Saturday  afternoon  was  devoted  entirely  to  testimony  bearing. 
Sunday  morning's  meeting  was  programmed;  speakers  were  called 


158  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  2 


Thhd  Dan 


upon  to  speak;  but  in  the  afternoon  it  was  not  programmed,  and  the 
meeting  started  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  with  the  idea  that 
it  would  perhaps  close  by  four  o'clock,  and  we  would  thus  get  an 
extra  hour  of  testimony  bearing. 

I  wish  everyone  could  have  been  in  that  Sacred  Grove  that 
beautiful  afternoon  as  those  elders,  without  wasting  a  minute's  time 
or  a  second's  time,  came  forward  and  stood  by  the  microphone. 
There  was  no  pulpit  to  stand  by,  so  they  stood  there  by  the  loud- 
speaker and  gave  their  testimonies,  one  by  one.  Those  three  hours 
passed  all  too  quickly.  Four  o'clock  came,  and  as  the  missionaries 
had  expressed  the  desire  to  bear  their  testimony  in  the  Sacred  Grove, 
they  were  not  all  through,  and  it  was  decided  to  continue  the  meet- 
ing until  five  o'clock,  but  at  five  o'clock  they  were  not  through  and 
it  continued  till  six  o'clock.  At  six  o'clock  they  were  not  through,  and 
we  continued  the  meeting  until  seven  o'clock — until  every  mission- 
ary there  had  had  an  opportunity  to  bear  his  or  her  testimony.  I 
think  eighty-nine  of  them  that  afternoon  bore  their  testimonies. 

Privilege  of  a  Mission 

You  could  not  have  doubted  that  testimony  if  you  had  heard 
those  young  men  and  women.  Some  of  them  had  been  in  the  mission 
field  only  a  month,  and,  oh,  how  they  thanked  the  Lord  for  the 
privilege  of  that  mission.  I  thought  what  a  shame  it  would  have 
been  if  any  one  of  those  boys  or  girls  had  been  denied  that  mission, 
and  I  thought  of  the  thousands  of  others  who  probably  will  want  to 
go  on  a  mission  some  day,  and  sometimes  they  are  made  to  feel  as 
if  they  cannot  afford  it.  I  hope  some  of  us  in  the  Church  who  have 
been  blessed  perhaps  more  than  others  with  financial  security  and 
material  things,  will  share  it  with  some  missionary  who  wants  to 
go  on  a  mission,  and  never  let  it  be  said  that  a  boy  was  kept  home 
from  a  mission  because  someone  could  not  afford  it. 

As  those  missionaries  came  forward,  I  wished  their  fathers  and 
mothers  could  have  heard  the  great  love  they  expressed  for  them. 
They  truly  love  and  appreciate  you.  Every  one  of  them,  without  an 
exception,  was  so  grateful  for  his  father  and  mother,  and  many  of 
them  were  sons  and  daughters  of  widowed  mothers.  Oh,  how  the 
gratitude  came  from  their  souls  for  the  love  of  their  widowed  mothers. 
Some  of  them  had  experienced  the  loss  of  their  father  or  mother  while 
they  had  been  in  the  mission  field,  but  there  was  no  evidence  of 
bitterness.  Every  one  of  them  acknowledged  the  hand  of  the  Lord, 
even  in  that  sorrow  that  came  to  them  while  they  were  away. 

But  there  were  some  who  pleaded  with  the  Lord  to  bless  their 
parents  and  their  loved  ones  while  they  were  in  the  mission  field.  I 
am  sure  that  if  you  parents  and  the  brothers  and  the  sisters  and  the 
loved  ones  could  have  heard  those  boys,  you  would  have  tried  harder 
to  live  as  they  are  teaching.  How  they  thanked  the  Lord  for  the 
blessings  that  had  come  to  them.   I  was  astounded  at  the  strength 


ELDER  THORPE  B.  ISAACSON  159 


of  their  testimonies.  Two  or  three  of  them  had  only  been  out  two 
or  three  weeks,  and  how  they  loved  their  companions,  how  they 
loved  their  mission  president,  and  the  same  thing  could  be  said  of 
all  of  the  five  thousand  missionaries  who  are  in  the  field  today. 

I  do  not  see  how  the  homes,  the  families,  and  the  loved  ones 
of  those  missionaries  could  help  but  partake  of  that  same  sweet 
spirit  when  they  so  humbly  prayed  for  them.  Many  of  them  spoke 
to  the  Lord  so  kindly,  acknowledged  their  shortcomings,  and  prayed 
to  the  Lord  that  he  would  help  them  overcome  those  weaknesses.  I 
am  sure  that  the  Lord  was  looking  down  upon  those  missionaries 
with  all  of  his  tender  mercy. 

God's  Pay 

As  the  day  closed  and  every  missionary  had  borne  his  testimony, 
I  could  not  help  but  think  of  this  poem,  and  I  would  like  to  read  it  as 
a  tribute  to  those  missionaries  and  all  missionaries.  It  is  entitled, 
"Who  Does  God's  Work  Will  Get  God's  Pay": 

Who  does  God's  work  will  get  God's  pay; 
No  human  hand  God's  hand  can  stay. 
He  does  not  pay  as  others  pay. 
But  God's  high  wisdom  knows  a  way; 
And  this  is  sure,  let  come  what  may; 
Who  does  God's  work  will  get  God's  pay. 

At  seven  o'clock  at  night  the  sun  went  down — the  shadows  fell, 
and  it  seemed  as  if  God  in  heaven  had  looked  down  and  pronounced 
a  silent  benediction  on  the  heads  of  all  who  were  assembled  in  the 
Sacred  Grove  that  day.  Yes,  it  was  as  if  those  servants  of  the  Lord 
had  been  able  to  lift  up  the  corner  of  the  veil  and  had  a  little  glimpse 
into  the  eternities  to  come. 

May  God  bless  the  missionaries  all  over  the  earth.  May  our 
homes  and  all  of  us  partake  of  the  spirit  that  they  are  privileged 
to  enjoy,  and  I  know  and  you  know  why  they  are  privileged  to  enjoy 
that  spirit.  It  is  because  they  live  so  close  to  the  Lord. 

I  know  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  there  in  the  grove  that 
day.  I  know  that  sacred  spot  was  the  place  to  which  the  Prophet 
Joseph  went  as  a  boy  and  knelt  down  and  prayed  to  the  Lord,  and 
there  the  Father  and  Son  appeared  to  him.  I  know  that  those  thou- 
sands who  saw  the  story  of  the  pageant  could  not  help  but  receive 
some  influence  and  inspiration  for  having  witnessed  it,  and  I  am  con- 
fident that  they  are  hungering  to  hear  more  about  it. 

May  the  Lord  bless  us  in  our  work  that  we  may  live  as  those 
missionaries  preach.  May  the  Lord  bless  us  that  we  may  have  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  with  us  to  guide  us  in  our  every  act  every  day,  I 
pray,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


The  Tabernacle  Choir  and  congregation  sang  the  hymn,  "For 
the  Strength  of  the  Hills." 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 


ELDER  HENRY  D.  MOYLE 


Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


It  was  thirteen  and  a  half  years  ago,  my  brethren  and  sisters, 
that  the  Great  Church  welfare  program  was  given  to  us.  I  am  certain 
that  the  Lord  has  been  with  us  every  day  of  those  many  years  and 
has  guided  and  directed  the  course  which  this  program  has  taken. 


My  mind  today  goes  back  to  one  of  the  early  meetings  which 
we  held,  as  I  remember  it,  in  Barratt  Hall,  when  President  McKay 
told  us  that  we  might  not  be  able  to  see  too  far  into  the  future  as  to 
the  work  to  be  done  in  this  great  field  of  endeavor,  but  that  just  like 
a  locomotive  engineer  taking  his  train  out  of  the  station  at  night, 
that  light  which  preceded  the  engineer  and  his  locomotive  was  sym- 
bolic of  what  we  would  experience.  I  am  sure  that  those  utterances 
were  prophetic  because  there  has  never  been  a  time  during  those 
thirteen  odd  years  when  we  have  failed  to  have  our  way  lighted  at 
least  a  short  distance  ahead. 

I  am  conscious  that  we  may  have  made,  and  undoubtedly  have 
made,  mistakes  in  the  program,  both  members  of  the  general  com- 
mittee, presidents  of  stakes,  and  bishops  of  wards,  but,  generally 
speaking,  our  course  has  been  straightforward  and  ahead.  And  as 
we  review  the  work  which  we  have  accomplished,  it  satisfies  us.  We 
are  conscious  that  the  Lord  has  blessed  us  and  that  we  have  yet  a 
work  to  do. 

We  have  heard  a  great  deal  in  this  conference  about  our  duties 
and  our  responsibilities  in  the  Church.  I  am  sure  that  we  are  a 
blessed  people,  that  much  has  been  given  to  us,  and  those  who 
receive  much  are  expected  to  give  much.  I  would  like  to  know  how 
far  we  would  have  progressed  in  this  program  if  all  the  bishops  in 
this  Church  and  all  stakes  of  Zion  had  exerted  themselves  to  the 
utmost  from  the  beginning  until  now  because  we  have  accomplished 
what  we  have  by  the  help  of  relatively  few,  whereas  this  program 
was  intended  for  all.  There  is  no  one  too  rich  and  no  one  too  poor 
in  this  Church  but  what  he  might  have  participated  in  this  welfare 
program. 

My  heart  goes  out  in  gratitude  to  my  Heavenly  Father  today, 
that  the  hearts  of  so  many  people  in  the  Church  have  been  touched. 
They  have  responded  to  this  program,  and  they  have  given  of  their 
time  and  of  their  means,  their  talents,  to  further  its  purposes,  and  to 
give  aid  and  sustenance  to  those  who  were  in  need. 


Progress  of  Welfare  Program 


Help  Given  German  Family 


I  received  a  letter  not  long  ago  from  a  family  of  Saints  in  Ger- 
many, a  family  who  are  dear  to  me  because  I,  amonq  other  elders  in 


ELDER  HENRY  D.  MOYLE 


161 


the  Church,  assisted  them  in  establishing  in  their  hearts  the  faith  that 
was  necessary  to  apply  for  baptism  in  this  Church.  In  this  letter  from 
a  widowed  grandmother  she  reported  that  all  of  the  male  members 
of  their  family  for  four  generations  had  been  exterminated  by  the 
war,  save  one  crippled  grandson.  They  had  one  granddaughter  who 
was  ill.  The  doctors  had  told  her,  told  the  grandmother  and  the 
mother,  that  there  was  no  chance  for  her  life,  that  there  was  only 
one  thing  that  would  save  her  life,  because  she  suffered  from  diseases 
incident  to  malnutrition,  and  that  was  to  put  her  on  a  diet  of  cracked 
wheat. 

It  was  not  by  chance  that  the  prayers  of  this  family  were  an- 
swered. They  had  been  faithful  in  keeping  the  commandments  of 
the  Lord  ever  since  they  entered  into  the  waters  of  baptism.  They 
had  found  strength  and  courage  to  go  forward  and  carry  on  in  the 
absence  of  all  their  male  members,  because  of  those  blessings  and 
that  consolation  which  came  to  them  as  a  result  of  the  prayers 
which  they  offered.  The  next  day,  after  the  doctor  had  pronounced 
this  solemn  decision,  a  welfare  package  arrived  in  that  home;  and 
when  it  was  opened,  the  first  thing  they  found  was  twenty  pounds 
of  cracked  wheat  which  this  welfare  program  had  furnished. 

I  am  sure  that  incidents  of  that  kind  could  be  multiplied  a  thou- 
sandfold in  the  lives  of  Latter-day  Saints,  not  only  in  Europe  but  also 
here  at  home,  and  I  wonder  if  there  are  any  of  us  who  would  be- 
grudge that  which  we  have  done,  that  which  we  have  contributed 
towards  this  welfare  program,  when  we  realize  what  it  has  meant 
in  the  lives  of  the  children  of  our  Heavenly  Father  all  over  this  earth. 
And  I  want  to  say  we  do  not  have  to  go  to  Germany  or  to  any 
faraway  land  to  find  the  benefits  that  have  been  derived  from  this 
program,  for  we  find  them  here  at  home. 

Inglewood  Stake  Project 

I  had  the  privilege  Monday  of  last  week,  after  our  quarterly 
conference  in  the  Inglewood  Stake,  of  going  out  near  Venice  to 
see  a  little  project,  a  very  humble  project  which  a  ward  had  instituted 
there  under  the  inspiration  and  guidance  of  a  bishop,  who  in  very 
deed  is  a  servant  of  the  Lord.  And  there  I  found  some  elderly  men, 
men  who  were  not  physically  fit  or  qualified  to  participate  in  the 
activities  of  industry  in  competition  with  younger  men.  They  were 
well  past  sixty-five,  all  of  them.  One  man  came  up  to  me  and  told 
me  that  he  was  grateful  for  that  opportunity.  He  told  me  that  he 
had  been  a  lifelong  friend  of  my  father.  I  thought  that  it  might  very 
well  have  been  my  father,  in  place  of  that  man,  receiving  the  benefits 
of  this  program,  for  there  he  was  engaged  upon  this  project,  carrying 
out  the  details  of  it.  In  fact,  he  was  really  supervising  it. 

It  consisted  of  nothing  more  than  shredding  newspapers,  maga- 
zines, papers  of  all  kinds,  in  a  very  simple  machine  which  they  had 
purchased  second-hand.   When  they  could  not  gather  up  enough 


162 

Sunday,  October  2 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 


papers  because  of  lack  of  trucks  and  facilities,  they  bought  paper  in 
order  that  they  might  shred  it  and  bale  it.  And  they  were  receiving 
forty  dollars  a  ton  for  that  baled  paper  and  giving  employment  to 
a  group  of  fine  brethren.  The  interesting  thing  about  it  was  how 
from  small  beginnings  we  can  accomplish  great  things. 

This  brother,  as  a  result  of  the  work  which  he  was  doing  there, 
and  a  life-long  experience  in  business  and  in  industry,  was  planning 
a  new  industry  to  employ  other  people.  I  am  sure  the  day  will  come 
when  that  little  ward  project  will  become  a  stake  project,  or  even  a 
regional  project.  The  benefits  of  it  will  be  enjoyed  by  many  of  our 
brethren  in  other  parts  of  the  Church  because  it  is  one  of  those 
industries  that  could  be  copied  in  every  big  city  and  in  many  of  the 
smaller  ones. 

They  have  paid  for  everything  they  have  received  out  of  the 
proceeds  of  the  business  itself,  and  they  have  made  it  profitable.  So 
I  drew  from  that  experience  this  thought,  that  in  the  welfare  pro- 
gram we  need  the  experience  and  training  of  older  men  and  of  older 
women,  and  when  they  come  to  us  in  our  projects  to  assist  us,  they 
are  bringing  to  us  something  more  valuable  than  that  which  we  give 
them.  It  was  evidenced  right  there  by  the  work  that  this  man  was 
doing,  and  I  know  there  are  thousands  of  other  elderly  brethren  who 
are  fit  and  qualified  to  assist  us  in  that  same  way. 

Faith  Increased 

We  have  had  a  great  deal  said  at  this  conference — and  I  have 
thrilled  with  every  word  that  has  been  uttered  here  by  my  brethren — 
about  the  necessity  for  our  living  the  gospel,  keeping  the  command- 
ments of  the  Lord.  I  love  President  Smith's  admonition  for  us  to 
stay  in  the  territory  of  the  Lord  and  out  of  the  territory  of  the  ad- 
versary. 

I  wonder  if  there  is  any  tangible  way  that  we  can  show  our 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  in  his  work  better  than  we  can 
when  we  are  engaged  in  this  welfare  work,  contributing  of  our  time 
and  of  our  means  and  of  our  talents  to  further  the  interests  of  those 
who  may  not  be  so  fortunate  or  so  young  as  we  are  at  the  moment. 

It  is  my  testimony  to  you,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  that  none 
of  us  can  engage  in  this  work  and  find  ourselves  in  the  territory  of 
the  adversary  or  under  his  power  or  under  his  dominion.  This  work 
cultivates  and  develops  within  the  men  who  participate  in  it  a  faith 
in  God. 

We  heard  a  testimony  borne  yesterday  afternoon,  after  the 
afternoon  session,  in  a  meeting  we  held  over  in  the  welfare  office, 
of  one  of  the  humble  sons  of  Israel  concerning  the  welfare  work, 
and  what  had  been  accomplished  by  a  little  group  of  men,  calling 
upon  the  Lord  in  humble  prayer  when  they  were  in  serious  difficulty 
and  did  not  know  which  way  to  proceed  in  the  operation  of  that 
project,  and  the  peace  and  the  comfort  and  the  satisfaction  that 
came  to  them  as  a  result  of  that  prayer. 


ELDER  HENRY  D.  MOYLE 


163 


I  do  not  know  where  we  could  find  in  this  Church  any  instru- 
mentality that  causes  men  to  turn  their  hearts  toward  God  any  more 
than  by  turning  our  hearts  to  our  fellow  men  and  becoming  indeed 
concerned  in  their  welfare.  We  profess  a  great  love  for  our  brethren 
and  sisters  in  this  Church.  My  heart  goes  out  to  all  of  you.  I  love 
you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  There  is  not  anything  that  I  have 
or  anything  that  I  might  do  to  assist  you  in  your  lives  and  in  your 
work  that  it  would  not  be  my  pleasure  to  do.  And  I  hope  and  pray 
that  the  Lord  will  give  me  strength  and  courage  to  go  forward  and 
to  accomplish  all  of  the  desires  of  my  heart  and  all  that  he  has  in 
store  for  me  in  your  behalf. 

Work  of  the  Lord 

This  work  is  true.  It  did  not  take  me  long  to  become  converted 
to  the  welfare  work.  President  Grant  called  me  in  one  day  and  said: 
"Brother  Moyle,  we  would  like  you  to  work  in  this  welfare  pro- 
gram." He  did  not  ask  me  if  I  was  converted,  nor  did  he  give  me 
any  time  to  convert  myself,  but  I  knew  then  and  I  know  now  that 
Heber  J.  Grant  was  a  prophet  of  God,  and  when  he  spoke  to  me,  gave 
me  an  assignment,  I  knew  that  that  assignment  came  from  God,  and 
there  was  no  such  thing  entered  my  heart  as  to  question  whether 
or  not  the  prophet  of  God  knew  what  he  was  talking  about.  So  I 
immediately  responded  as  I  had  been  brought  up  to  do  all  my  life. 
I  have  never  spent  one  moment  of  my  life  since  that  call  but  what  I 
have  been  conscious  of  the  fact  that  those  of  us  who  have  been 
engaged  in  this  welfare  work  have  been  engaged  in  the  work  of 
the  Lord.  We  have  been  engaged  in  a  work  which  has  done  much 
to  instil  in  the  hearts  of  men  a  testimony  of  the  existence  of  God  and 
the  divine  calling  of  his  present-day  prophet;  and  it  was  with  no 
small  degree  of  satisfaction  that  we  received  President  George  Albert 
Smith's  blessings  when  he  came  to  the  presidency  of  this  Church. 

I  felt  as  if  I  should  go  to  him  and  tell  him  that  it  would  be  my 
privilege  to  resign  and  step  aside  if  there  was  someone  of  his  own 
choice  or  calling  that  he  would  like  to  take  over  the  responsibilities 
that  were  then  mine.  And  he  simply  said  to  me,  "I  want  you  to 
continue." 

And  so  I  have  had  the  audible,  the  tangible,  the  conscious  privi- 
lege of  having  two  prophets  of  God  tell  me  that  the  work  in  which 
we  are  engaged  in  this  Church  is  that  which  the  Lord  would  have 
us  accomplish. 

It  is  a  further  testimony  to  me  that  this  work  which  was  initiated 
under  the  instrumentality  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  is  indeed  the 
work  of  God.  I  know  that  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  was  called  of 
the  Lord  to  open  up  this  dispensation,  the  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness 
of  Times,  and  to  give  to  all  of  us  every  blessing  and  every  privilege 
and  every  power  that  it  is  right  for  man  to  receive,  and  we  have 
received  these  blessings,  my  brethren  and  sisters.  I  know,  as  I  know 


164  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Day 


that  I  live,  that  God  lives,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  and  that  this  work 
is  his  work,  and  that  we  are  engaged  in  his  ministry.  I  wonder,  with 
this  knowledge  and  assurance  burning  in  our  hearts,  how  we  can 
fail,  those  of  us  who  have  been  in  attendance  here  in  this  conference 
today,  to  take  to  heart  the  advice  and  the  admonition  that  has  come 
to  us  from  these  inspired  brethren  whom  I  love,  every  one  of  them. 

Start  with  Simple  Projects 

I  have  this  one  word  to  say  further  about  welfare  before  I  sit 
down.  Let  us  not  wait  until  some  great  project  comes  into  view  or 
into  our  imagination  which  calls  for  a  great  expenditure  of  money, 
something  that  we  can  envision  as  paying  all  of  our  debts  and 
obligations  and  meeting  all  of  our  assignments  in  the  Church  with 
little  or  no  effort  upon  our  part,  some  project  that  does  not  require 
any  work  on  the  part  of  the  membership  of  the  Church,  something 
that  we  can  hire  done. 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  those  are  not  the  kinds  of  projects  we 
want.  I  would  much  rather  start  in  with  a  simple,  helpful  project, 
and  depend  upon  the  Lord  throwing  light  ahead  of  us  as  we  proceed 
with  that  humble  project,  and  inspiring  us  to  enlarge  it  as  he  may 
see  fit. 

I  think  likely  New  York  Stake  has  set  us  an  example.  They 
have  a  welfare  project  today  which  consists  of  producing  shoe  polish. 
Now  that  is  a  pretty  humble  activity,  and  still  it  has  within  it  the 
right  objective,  the  right  philosophy.  The  stake  has  not  called  upon 
us  for  any  money  to  assist  in  the  establishment  of  that  project.  I  can 
promise  those  brethren  that  if  they  stay  true  to  their  trust  and  are 
faithful  in  the  performance  of  that  humble  project,  that  light  will  be 
given  them  in  the  manner  and  form  in  which  they  could  expand  in 
that  great  city  where  it  has  seemed  to  be  so  impossible  to  start  any 
welfare  work. 

May  the  Lord  bless  us,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  and  may  we 
go  back  home  instilled  and  imbued  with  the  idea  that  this  testimony 
of  ours  of  the  divinity  of  the  work  in  which  we  are  engaged  calls 
upon  us  to  do  something  for  our  brethren  and  sisters  here  upon  this 
earth,  and  that  we  may  turn  our  hearts  to  the  less  fortunate  and  thus 
assist  them,  I  humbly  pray,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

If  Brother  Roscoe  C.  Cox,  former  president  of  the  Hawaiian 
Mission  is  in  the  audience  we  would  be  glad  to  have  him  come  to 
the  stand.  I  may  say  that  Brother  Cox  has  been  home,  as  have  quite 
a  number  of  the  other  mission  presidents,  for  several  years.  We 
have  tried  to  find  an  opportunity  to  hear  from  each  of  them  from 
time  to  time,  but  there  is  insufficient  time  in  three  days  of  confer- 
ence. We  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  Brother  Cox. 


ELDER  ROSCOE  C.  COX 


165 


ELDER  ROSCOE  C.  COX 

Former  President  of  the  Hawaiian  Mission 

I  think  that  trip  up  here  was  the  highest  mountain  I  ever  climbed, 
and  perhaps  the  longest  mile  I  ever  walked. 

Now  what  to  report.  I  can  report  that  it  was  July  4,  1942,  that  my 
family  and  I  and  the  lady  missionaries  from  the  Hawaiian  Mission 
and  the  then  Japanese  Mission  arrived  here  in  Salt  Lake  City.  We 
had  been  whisked  out  of  Honolulu,  as  it  were,  with  very  few  people 
knowing  of  our  departure.  We  were  notified  but  hours  ahead  that 
space  was  available  on  one  of  the  ships,  and  that  we  could  go  home. 

We  were  happy  to  be  back  in  Utah  in  that  wartime,  but  we 
brought  with  us  an  eternal  gratitude  for  the  privilege  that  had  been 
ours  of  serving  in  those  lovely  islands.  They  had  been  changed  by 
the  impact  of  war,  but  they  still  were  lovely. 

I  can  report  that  we  were  very  fortunate  in  having  several  of 
the  General  Authorities  visit  us  while  we  were  in  the  Islands.  We 
had  President  McKay  and  Brother  Callis,  and  all  the  members  of  the 
Presiding  Bishopric.  One  of  the  things  that  impressed  me  most 
during  the  three  years  we  were  there  was  a  trip  we  made  to  Molokai, 
to  the  leper  settlement,  with  Brother  and  Sister  Callis.  It  was  the 
first  time  Brother  Callis  had  ever  been  in  an  airplane.  He  had  refused 
to  go  on  an  airplane,  but  when  we  told  him  how  impossible  it  would 
be  for  him  to  visit  those  lepers  by  any  other  means,  he  finally  con- 
sented. 

There,  in  a  meeting  we  held  in  the  well-kept  chapel  in  that  leper 
settlement,  the  judge  of  the  village  arose  to  bear  his  testimony.  Minus 
his  toes,  and  with  the  disease  eating  away  at  him,  he  said:  "I  thank 
God  that  I  have  the  leprosy,  because  it  brought  to  me  the  Gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ." 

Up  until  the  time  he  contracted  that  dread  disease,  he  had  not 
had  time  to  bother  about  the  gospel  of  Christ  or  about  more  serious 
things  of  life,  and  then  he  contracted  that  sobering  disease.  He 
knew  the  sores  of  that  disease  would  pass  away  when  his  body 
passed  away,  as  it  has  since  done,  but  he  knew  he  had  something 
more  eternal  in  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Another  thing  that  few  people  knew  about,  that  happened  while 
it  was  our  privilege  to  be  in  the  Islands,  was  that  the  work  of  the 
Lord  was  established  somewhat  on  the  Island  of  Wake,  where  our 
Government  had  sent  so  many  men  to  labor  to  build  up  the  defenses 
of  that  island.  One  of  those  men  was  Brother  Forrest  Packard  of 
Pocatello,  Idaho.  He  stopped  off  in  Honolulu  on  the  way  to  the 
island,  got  a  few  tracts  and  a  few  song  books.  Later  he  wrote  for 
more  and  for  other  Church  literature. 

I  corresponded  with  the  First  Presidency.  They  authorized  that 
a  branch  should  be  established  on  the  Island  of  Wake.  On  the  fifth 
of  December  1941,  I  received  a  long  letter  from  Brother  Packard 
telling  of  the  work  that  was  being  done  there,  and  he  told  me  that 


166  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  2  Third  Day 


on  the  following  Sunday  he  would  send  me  a  full  list  of  the  member- 
ship. Two  men,  I  think,  had  been  baptized  up  to  that  time.  And  in 
that  letter,  Brother  Packard  said:  "The  men  are  mostly  of  the  rough 
type,  but  since  no  liquor  or  beer  is  allowed  on  the  island,  they  are 
forced  to  think  more  seriously  of  life  and  its  meaning." 

I  would  change  just  one  word  in  that  and  I  would  say  they  are 
able  to  think  more  seriously  of  life  and  its  meaning.  He  had  a  good 
congregation  coming  to  our  meeting,  but  the  list  was  never  received. 
The  following  Sunday  is  known  to  us  as  Pearl  Harbor  Day.  Brother 
Packard  spent  some  four  years  or  more  as  a  prisoner  of  the  Japanese, 
but  he  furnished  us  with  that  one  truth  that  1  wish  could  go  to  every 
man  and  woman  in  this  nation  today,  especially  those  who  are  seek- 
ing to  gain  a  betterment  of  their  condition  through  some  way  other 
than  through  righteousness.  "Since  no  liquor  or  beer  is  allowed  on 
the  island,  men  are  able  to  think  more  seriously  of  life  and  its  mean- 
ing." 

God  has  been  good  to  me  and  to  my  family,  very  good.  I  trace 
a  lot  of  it  back  to  a  day  on  the  banks  of  the  Kilauea  Volcano.  A 
group  of  us  spent  a  night  there  when  that  crater  was  putting  on  a 
grand  show.  We  got  down  and  played  with  the  lava.  We  gathered 
up  the  fine  strings  of  lava,  known  as  Paley's  Hair. 

In  that  group  was  President  David  O.  McKay  and  Hugh  J. 
Cannon.  They  were  making  a  trip  around  the  world.  They  had 
just  come  from  China. 

Morning  came.  When  they  were  leaving,  they  shook  hands 
goodbye,  with  some  of  us  who  were  staying  on  for  another  hour 
or  two.  President  McKay  had  gone,  possibly  two  rods  distant;  then 
he  returned,  and  again  he  took  my  hand,  and  looked  through  me, 
as  only  President  McKay  can  look  through  a  person,  and  said  again: 
"God  bless  you,  Elder  Cox." 

My  brothers  and  sisters,  there  was  a  power  in  those  words,  a 
power  as  real  as  the  power  of  that  volcano  on  whose  brink  we 
stood,  scarce  twelve  feet  from  the  molten  lava.  Yes,  there  was  a 
power  greater,  by  far,  than  that  of  the  volcano  and  more  lasting;  and 
God  has  blessed  me. 

Soon  after  that  He  blessed  me  with  a  companion  who  developed 
in  his  heart  a  love  for  the  Japanese  people  and  a  desire  to  teach 
them.  Later,  he  returned  to  the  island,  and  started  a  Japanese  Sun- 
day School.  The  work  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the  Japanese 
Mission  in  Hawaii,  now  known  as  the  Central  Pacific  Mission. 
Finally,  he  was  called  to  re-establish  the  Japanese  Mission  over  in 
the  Islands  of  Japan.  He  has  just  recently  been  released.  He  is  now 
in  Honolulu,  President  Edward  Lavon  Clissold,  formerly  of  Salt 
Lake  City,  one  of  the  grandest  companions  that  God  could  give 
to  any  missionary. 

He  blessed  me  with  a  life's  companion,  of  whom  President 
McKay  said  when  he  was  recommending  me  to  President  Clark 
and  President  Grant:   "I  have  been  thinking  of  Brother  Cox  for 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  167 


some  time,  but  when  I  went  down  to  Ephraim  last  Sunday  and  met 
Sister  Cox,  then  I  knew  he  was  the  man  we  wanted." 

When  the  call  came  for  us  to  go  to  Hawaii,  it  seemed  miraculous 
that  the  Lord  should  bless  us  with  a  man  to  take  over  our  business 
so  that  we  worried  not  one  moment  on  how  it  should  be  carried  on. 
That  man  is  now  editing  the  Bear  River  Valley  Leader  at  Tremonton, 
Brother  Andrew  N.  Rytting. 

And  he  blessed  us  with  a  mission  secretary  than  whom  there 
could  be  none  better,  who  later  succeeded  me  as  Mission  President, 
Elder,  or  President  Eldred  Waldron,  now  of  Logan.  He  blessed  us 
with  a  hundred  eighty  of  the  finest  missionaries  that  were  ever  sent 
to  any  land,  for  whom  I  thank  God.  And  he  blessed  us  with  the 
love  and  respect  of  those  people. 

O,  how  I  wish  that  that  same  power  that  I  felt  on  the  banks  of 
Kilauea,  back  in  1921,  could  be  felt  in  councils  between  labor  and 
capital  and  in  the  councils  between  nations  today,  for  then  I  know 
that  peace,  lasting  peace,  could  come  to  the  world.  And  how  I  wish 
I  could  feel  that  same  power  today,  as  I  say,  God  bless  you,  my 
brothers  and  sisters.  Amen. 

PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 

I  am  delighted  with  what  has  been  said  during  this  entire  con- 
ference. The  Lord  has  blessed  those  who  have  addressed  us.  He 
has  blessed  those  who  have  furnished  us  with  such  delightful  music. 

We  are  almost  ready  to  adjourn,  and  from  this  building  and  the 
adjoining  building  there  will  go  men  and  women  to  many  parts  of 
the  world. 

You  will  find  no  other  place  in  the  world  that  is  more  peaceful 
or  more  comfortable  or  more  delightful  than  here  where  we  have 
been  during  the  last  few  days,,  waiting  upon  the  Lord  with  the  assur- 
ance that  when  even  two  or  three  should  meet  together  in  his  name, 
he  would  be  there  to  bless  them.  Surely,  we  have  been  blessed. 

Wickedness  in  World 

The  world  is  sick.  It  is  not  the  first  time  it  has  been  sick.  It 
has  had  a  good  many  different  experiences  of  that  kind.  Sometimes 
nations  have  had  to  be  wiped  out  because  of  the  wickedness  of  the 
people  who  live  in  them.  The  Lord,  all  down  through  the  ages,  has 
spoken  to  his  leaders  and  teachers  who  are  inspired,  but  when  the 
world  refuses  to  heed  after  it  has  been  properly  taught,  it  places 
itself  in  a  position  of  saying  to  our  Heavenly  Father  who  owns  this 
world — he  is  our  landlord — "We  do  not  need  you.  We  will  do  just 
as  we  please." 

Unfortunately,  people  who  think  that  way  do  not  realize  how 
they  are  shortening  their  own  experiences  in  life,  and  setting  the 
stage  for  the  sorrows  that  may  follow. 


168  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  2  •  Third  Day 


Think  of  the  condition  of  our  own  nation,  with  all  the  blessings 
that  we  enjoy;  and  yet  men,  women,  and  children  are  being  dis- 
tressed and  annoyed  because  of  the  determination  on  the  part  of  a 
few  to  have  their  own  way.  This  nation  does  not  belong  to  the 
people  who  live  here.  We  are  permitted  to  be  citizens  of  it  just  as 
we  are  permitted  to  be  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  It  is  not  our  Church,  and  this  is  not  our  nation. 

A  Blessed  Land 

The  Lord  raised  up  men  to  frame  a  Constitution  for  this  nation 
because  it  was  his  nation.  It  was  his  desire  that  the  people  here 
would  be  blessed,  and  there  have  been  no  people  in  all  the  world 
who  have  been  more  blessed  than  those  who  live  in  the  United  States 
of  America. 

We  have  every  comfort  that  you  can  think  of,  every  blessing 
that  is  enjoyed  by  people  in  any  other  nation,  and  then  we  have  the 
privilege  of  worshiping  Almighty  God  according  to  the  dictates  of 
our  conscience  because  the  Lord  himself  made  that  provision  in  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  in  the  framing  of  the  laws 
that  govern  this  nation. 

I  wonder  if  we  appreciate  that.  Do  we  realize  that  we  can  lose 
it  all  just  as  we  can  lose  it  with  any  epidemic?  If  an  epidemic  of 
some  kind,  that  we  did  not  have  a  remedy  for,  was  to  break  out 
among  the  people  and  increase  and  increase,  it  would  be  possible 
for  this  entire  nation  to  be  wiped  out. 

Carelessness  Evident 

Yet  we  are  trifling  with  our  Heavenly  Father  and  his  advice 
and  his  counsel.  He  gave  to  us  his  commandments  through  Moses, 
anciently,  and  he  gave  us  advice  and  counsel  in  our  day  through 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  that  is  intended  to  keep  us  in  a  frame  of 
mind  that  we  would  honor  God  and  keep  his  commandments,  that 
we  would  love  one  another. 

It  does  seem  strange  how  careless  we  are  when  we  realize  we 
may  be  destroyed.  Think  of  the  atom  bomb.  If  it  is  all  that  they 
say  it  is,  it  would  be  possible  to  wipe  out  one  of  our  great  cities  with 
its  millions  of  people  in  just  a  few  moments  of  time. 

Do  we  want  that  kind  of  thing?  Are  we  going  to  continue  con- 
tending for  something  of  physical  power  and  physical  strength  or 
are  we  going  to  the  Lord  and  honor  him  and  keep  his  commandments? 

Judge  Not 

I  will  read  you  something  in  the  scripture  I  have  here,  something 
that  will  give  us  cause  to  think.  It  is  so  easy  to  criticize  someone  else, 
so  easy  to  find  fault,  and  sometimes  we  speak  harshly  of  our  neigh- 
bors and  friends.  Now  this  is  what  our  Heavenly  Father  gave  us 
in  the  days  of  Matthew.  He  said: 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 


169 


Judge  not,  that  ye  be  not  judged. 

For  with  what  judgment  ye  judge,  ye  shall  be  judged:  and  with 
what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again. 

And  why  beholdest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's  eye, 
but  considerest  not  the  beam  that  is  in  thine  own  eye? 

Or  how  wilt  thou  say  to  thy  brother,  Let  me  pull  out  the  mote  out 
of  thine  eye;  and,  behold,  a  beam  is  in  thine  own  eye?  (Matt.  7:1-4.) 

As  a  people  we  are  advised  not  to  be  critical,  not  to  be  unkind, 
not  to  speak  harshly  of  those  with  whom  we  associate.  We  ought  to 
be  the  greatest  exemplars  in  all  the  world  in  that  regard.  Consider 
the  criticism  today.  Pick  up  your  newspapers  and  see  the  unkind 
things  that  are  being  said  by  individuals  about  others,  and  yet  many 
times  the  individual  who  is  criticizing  has  a  beam  in  his  own  eye 
and  does  not  see  at  all  clearly,  but  he  does  think  his  brother  has  a 
mote  in  his  eye.  I  would  like  to  call  attention  to  that  situation. 

There  is  growing  in  our  own  country,  really,  a  conflict  between 
capital  and  labor,  or  may  I  say  between  the  rich  and  the  poor.  What 
does  the  Lord  say  about  things  of  that  kind? 

Welfare  Program 

We  have  been  told  this  afternoon  about  the  welfare  program, 
about  how  it  is  possible  to  help  those  who  are  in  need.  Since  the 
war  closed,  this  Church  has  imparted  of  its  substance  in  very  large 
measure  to  those  who  are  in  need.  But  all  this  time  we  have  been 
just  as  well  off,  or  better  off,  perhaps,  than  we  would  have  been  if 
we  had  not  sent  over  16,000  packages,  9000  quilts  and  131  carloads 
of  food  and  bedding  and  clothing  to  Europe  to  people  who  were 
needing  it  more  than  we  needed  it.  We  have  not  missed  it. 

The  Lord  gave  a  revelation  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  He 

said: 

Behold,  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  my  people — you  have  many  things 
to  do  and  to  repent  of;  for  behold,  your  sins  have  come  up  unto  me, 
and  are  not  pardoned,  because  you  seek  to  counsel  in  your  own  ways. 

And  your  hearts  are  not  satisfied.  And  ye  obey  not  the  truth,  but 
have  pleasure  in  unrighteousness.  (D.  6  C.  56:14-15.) 

Our  Shortcomings 

I  thought  when  one  of  our  brethren  was  talking  to  us  and  telling 
us  of  the  little  shortcomings  each  of  us  may  have,  and  each  of  us 
has  some,  I  am  sure — some  more  than  others — I  thought  how  careless 
we  are  in  observing  the  Sabbath  day. 

How  careless  we  are  about  attending  to  our  prayers.  How 
careless  we  are  in  failing  to  thank  the  Lord  for  the  food  that  we 
have  so  abundantly,  I  would  like  to  say  abundantly,  and  that  there 
is  no  necessity  for  any  man,  woman,  or  child  in  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  to  go  without,  for  the  Church  is  organ- 
ized to  help  those  who  lack  the  necessities  of  life.  There  is  plenty 
for  all,  and  to  spare. 


170  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sandag.  October  2  Third  Dag 


Generosity  Shown 

We  have  in  the  Church  many  wonderful  individuals — and  out  of 
the  Church  many  wonderful  individuals.  I  heard  of  a  case  here  just 
a  few  days  ago  of  a  man  who  had  been  informed  that  a  child  had 
polio  and  had  to  go  to  the  hospital.  The  probability  was  it  would 
recover  but  would  remain  ill  for  months  or  years.  I  am  speaking 
of  a  man  who  is  not  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints.  He  lives  in  this  part  of  the  world,  however. 

He  was  told  of  the  situation,  and  that  there  was  no  way  of 
obtaining  what  was  needed.  When  he  was  informed  it  would  take 
$700  to  provide  treatment  for  this  particular  child,  and  it  was  not 
known  where  the  money  could  be  obtained,  he  said,  "You  get  what 
is  needed  and  send  the  bill  to  me." 

The  man  was  a  wealthy  man.  He  will  not  miss  it.  In  fact,  there 
is  an  old  saying  that  has  come  down  to  us  that  they  who  give  to  the 
poor  but  lend  to  the  Lord.  This  man  has  made  an  investment  in  the 
life  of  a  child,  and  he  has  made  an  investment  in  his  own  happiness 
that  will  return  to  him  great  dividends. 

Not  all  people  who  are  well-to-do  would  think  they  could  do 
that.  They  would  say,  "Get  somebody  else.  Let  us  take  up  a  collec- 
tion. Get  somebody  else  to  do  it." 

Advice  to  Rich  and  Poor 

This  is  what  the  Lord  says  further  in  that  same  chapter,  and  I 
am  reading  from  the  fifty-sixth  section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants: 

Wo  unto  you  rich  men,  that  will  not  give  your  substance  to  the 
poor,  for  your  riches  will  canker  your  souls;  and  this  shall  be  your 
lamentation  in  the  day  of  visitation,  and  of  judgment,  and  of  indigna- 
tion: The  harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is  ended,  and  my  soul  is  not  saved! 
(D.6C.  56:16.) 

That  is  what  the  Lord  says  of  the  rich  people  who  refuse  to 
impart  of  their  substance  to  those  who  are  poor.  But  he  says  some- 
thing just  as  serious  to  the  poor  man  who  is  not  doing  his  best.  He 
says: 

Wo  unto  you  poor  men,  whose  hearts  are  not  broken,  whose  spirits 
are  not  contrite,  and  whose  bellies  are  not  satisfied,  and  whose  hands 
are  not  stayed  from  laying  hold  upon  other  men's  goods,  whose  eyes 
are  full  of  greediness,  and  who  will  not  labor  with  your  own  hands!  (D.  & 
C.  56:17.) 

That  is  the  situation  of  many  of  our  own  brothers  and  sisters  in 
America  with  all  the  blessings  that  we  enjoy — better  wages,  better 
homes,  better  opportunities  for  education  than  have  ever  been  known 
before.  Yet  we  have  today  men  who  not  only  will  not  work  them-- 
selves,  but  they  also  will  not  permit  somebody  else  to  be  employed. 
They  are  not  willing  to  earn  their  living  by  work,  but  they  propose 
to  take  it  from  the  rich  man. 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  171 


The  Pure  in  Heart 

So  the  Lord  says  of  them,  "Wo  unto  them,"  the  same  as  he 
says  of  the  poor.  Then  he  said  further,  "But  blessed  are  the  poor  who 
are  pure  in  heart."  There  is  quite  a  difference  there, 

.  .  .  blessed  are  the  poor  who  are  pure  in  heart,  whose  hearts  are 
broken,  and  whose  spirits  are  contrite,  for  they  shall  see  the  kingdom 
of  God  coming  in  power  and  great  glory  unto  their  deliverance;  for  the 
fatness  of  the  earth  shall  be  theirs.  (D.  &  C.  56:18.) 

They  are  those  who  have  not  the  wealth  of  the  world  but  still 
have  life  and  being  and  intelligence,  and  who  are  anxious  to  do  the 
thing  the  Lord  would  have  them  do. 

He  says  further, 

For  behold,  the  Lord  shall  come,  and  his  recompense  shall  be  with 
him,  and  he  shall  reward  every  man,  and  the  poor  shall  rejoice; 
And  their  generations  shall  inherit  the  earth — 

there  will  be  more  poor  than  any  other  kind,  undoubtedly — 

.  .  .  and  their  generations  shall  inherit  the  earth  from  generation 
to  generation,  forever  and  ever.  And  now  I  make  an  end  of  speaking 
unto  you.   Even  so.  Amen.  (D.  6  C.  56:19-20.) 

Idlers  and  Laborers 

That  was  the  Lord  talking  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  in  our 
day  in  June  1831. 

He  has  further  said, 

Thou  shalt  not  be  idle;  for  he  that  is  idle  shall  not  eat  the  bread  nor 
wear  the  garments  of  the  laborer.  (D.  6  C.  42:42.) 

Now,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  we  have  both  rich  and  poor  in 
our  organizations.  If  we  are  poor,  we  can  be  worthy  just  as  the 
Lord  indicates  here.  We  can  be  pure  in  heart  and  do  our  best,  and 
he  will  not  permit  those  who  do  their  best  to  suffer  for  the  neces- 
sities of  life  among  the  people  who  are  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints. 

Our  welfare  program  has  been  a  wonderful  thing,  a  program  by 
which  unemployed  may  be  employed,  and  a  way  has  been  opened 
for  men  and  women  who  cannot  do  much  work  but  who  can  do 
something  to  be  gainfully  employed.  How  much  better  off  we  are 
when  we  are  occupied  with  some  reasonable  work. 

Consider  the  condition  in  the  world,  the  number  who  are  deter- 
mined to  take  from  the  rich  man  not  what  belongs  to  themselves, 
but  that  which  belongs  to  the  others.  God  has  permitted  men  to  get 
wealth,  and  if  they  obtained  it  properly,  it  is  theirs,  and  he  will  bless 
them  in  its  use  if  they  will  use  it  properly. 

I  hope  we  are  not  going  to  become  bitter  because  some  men  and 
women  are  well-to-do.  If  we  are  well-to-do,  I  hope  we  are  not  going 
to  be  self-centered  and  unconscious  of  the  needs  of  our  Father's 


172  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  2  Third  Day 


other  children.  If  we  are  better  off  than  they  are,  we  ought  to  be 
real  brothers  and  sisters,  not  make-believe.  Our  desires  should  be 
to  develop  in  this  world  such  an  organization  that  others,  seeing  our 
good  works  would  be  constrained  to  glorify  the  name  of  our 
Heavenly  Father. 

We  have  had  a  wonderful  conference.  Where  in  all  the  world 
could  you  go  to  find  such  an  organization,  to  witness  such  assemblies 
as  we  have  had  here  on  this  block,  this  week?  This  is  the  Lord's 
house.  This  is  the  Lord's  work.  You  have  been  addressed  and 
advised  and  counseled  by  the  servants  of  the  Lord,  men  who  are 
giving  their  time  and  the  best  they  have  in  them — as  has  been  indi- 
cated— some  of  them  not  well  enough  now  because  they  have  over- 
worked. They  are  trying  to  do  what  our  Heavenly  Father  would  like 
all  of  us  to  do. 

COVETOUSNESS 

We  must  not  fall  into  the  bad  habits  of  other  people.  We  must 
not  get  into  the  frame  of  mind  that  we  will  take  what  the  other  man 
has.  Refer  back  to  the  ten  commandments,  and  you  will  find  one 
short  paragraph,  "Thou  shalt  not  covet."  That  is  what  is  the  matter 
with  a  good  many  people  today.  They  are  coveting  what  somebody 
else  has,  when  as  a  matter  of  fact,  many  of  them  have  been  cared 
for  and  provided  with  means  to  live  by  those  very  ones  from  whom 
they  would  take  away  property. 

We  must  not  get  into  that  frame  of  mind.  Others  may  do  that, 
but  if  we  have  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in  our  hearts,  we 
will  not  be  deceived  in  that  regard. 

We  are  told  that  we  cannot  serve  God  and  some  other  master. 
We  have  to  make  our  choice,  and  if  we  want  to  be  the  servants  of 
God  and  the  children  of  our  Heavenly  Father  and  earn  his  blessings, 
we  must  do  it  by  honoring  him  and  by  keeping  his  commandments. 
Our  feelings,  and  our  love,  if  I  may  use  that  expression,  should  go 
out  to  all  the  world  as  far  as  they  will  receive  it.  We  in  our  humble 
way,  with  the  blessings  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  go  among  them  to 
teach  them  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  that  will  prepare  them  for 
eternal  happiness. 

Sacrifice  Brings  Blessings 

I  am  grateful  to  you,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  for  the  privilege  of 
being  here  with  you  today.  As  I  look  into  your  faces  and  see  this 
great  audience  in  this,  the  Lord's  house,  I  would  like  to  say  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ,  that  our  Father  in  heaven  will  bless  you  for  whatever 
sacrifice  you  may  have  made  to  come  here  to  worship.  He  will  bless 
your  families,  and  he  will  bring  to  you  a  richness  of  experience  and 
light  that  you  could  obtain  in  no  other  way.  That  your  sons  and 
daughters  may  grow  up  to  honor  our  Heavenly  Father,  I  humbly  pray. 

The  most  precious  of  all  the  jewels  that  the  Lord  has  bestowed 
upon  any  of  us  are  our  children,  and  we  are  responsible  for  them  in 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 


173 


their  tender  years.  The  Lord  says  that  the  parents  in  Zion  ( or  in  any 
of  the  stakes  which  are  organized)  who  fail  to  teach  their  children 
faith  in  God,  repentance,  baptism  when  eight  years  of  age,  the  sin 
be  upon  the  heads  of  the  parents,  not  upon  the  schoolteachers,  not 
upon  the  mayors  and  governors,  but  the  sin  be  upon  the  heads  of 
the  parents.  We  must  not  suffer  the  effects  of  that  sin  in  our  lives. 

Let  us  gather  our  families  together  when  we  return  to  our  homes, 
and  under  the  influence  of  prayer  thank  our  Heavenly  Father  for  our 
blessings  and  face  our  problems  honestly  and  faithfully,  with  love  in 
our  hearts  for  all  people,  for  the  Lord  says  we  must  love  our  enemies 
as  well  as  our  friends.  If  we  can  learn  to  do  that,  we  will  be  happy. 

Now  that  peace  and  joy  and  comfort  and  satisfaction  may  abide 
with  all  of  us  who  are  here,  with  all  the  members  of  the  Church  wher- 
ever they  may  be  in  all  the  world,  and  with  all  our  Father's  children, 
that  they  may  learn  as  a  result  of  obedience  to  his  commandments 
how  to  be  happy  in  this  life  and  prepare  for  eternal  happiness  is  my 
humble  prayer. 

That  is  what  the  gospel  is  for,  to  prepare  us  not  just  for  the 
comforts  of  mortality  but  for  eternal  happiness.  That  we  may  live 
to  be  worthy  of  these  blessings,  I  pray,  and  I  invoke  upon  you  all  the 
favor  and  blessing  of  our  Heavenly  Father  this  day  and  henceforth 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.  Amen. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  will  sing  the  concluding  number,  "By 
Babylon's  Wave."  The  closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President 
George  R.  Woolley  of  the  American  Falls  Stake,  Idaho,  after  which 
this  conference  will  adjourn  sine  die. 

Any  messages  that  have  been  brought  in  will  be  broadcast  at 
the  close  of  this  meeting. 

The  choir's  music  for  today's  sessions  of  the  conference  has 
been  furnished  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir  with  Elder  J.  Spencer 
Cornwall  conducting  and  Elder  Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ  for 
the  morning  session  and  Alexander  Schreiner  at  the  organ  for  the 
afternoon  session. 

I  would  like,  on  behalf  of  this  wonderful  audience  and  the  other 
audiences  that  have  assembled  here,  to  express  appreciation  and 
gratitude  for  this  wonderful  choir  that  has  been  our  greatest  mission- 
ary for  many  years  and  continues  to  be.  I  am  sure  you  all  join  with 
me  in  invoking  upon  them  the  favor  of  the  Lord  for  their  unselfish 
service  and  for  the  fine  thing  that  they  have  done  all  these  years 
by  broadcasting  to  the  nations  of  the  earth,  because  their  message 
goes  far  across  the  ocean  to  other  places. 

I  want  to  express  my  appreciation  to  the  ushers  and  to  those 
who  have  made  it  possible  for  so  many  people  to  have  comfortable 
places  to  sit.  I  want  to  express  my  appreciation  to  the  people  who 
have  taken  care  of  this  block  and  who  have  kept  it  beautiful  so  that 


174 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


when  people  come  here  they  see  something  they  do  not  see  in  other 
places.  Think  of  our  blessings,  brethren  and  sisters,  and  remember 
them  and  let  us  evidence  our  appreciation  of  them  as  the  days  go  by. 

This  evening  the  Deseret  Sunday  School  Union  will  hold  their 
conference  in  this  building  at  7  o'clock  and  all  who  desire  to  come 
are  invited  to  be  present. 

Again,  God  bless  you  and  peace,  sweet  peace,  be  in  your  hearts 
and  in  your  homes,  I  humbly  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

The  Choir  sang,  "By  Babylon's  Wave." 

President  George  R.  Woolley  of  the  American  Falls  Stake  of- 
fered the  benediction. 

Conference  adjourned  sine  die. 

GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD  MEETING 

The  General  Priesthood  meeting  of  the  Church  was  held  in  the 
Tabernacle  Saturday  evening,  October  1,  at  7:00. 

The  Tabernacle  not  being  large  enough  to  accommodate  all  the 
brethren  of  the  Priesthood  who  came  to  the  meeting,  the  Assembly 
Hall  was  also  filled  with  men  of  the  Priesthood  who  enjoyed  the  serv- 
ices by  means  of  television. 

The  choral  singing  was  by  the  men  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.,  First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presi- 
dency, presided  and  conducted  the  services. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.: 

President  Smith  telephoned  a  few  moments  ago  saying  that  he 
felt  he  ought  not  to  come  tonight.  He  sent  his  greetings  to  you,  his 
message  of  love  and  affection  and  expression  of  a  sincere  hope  that 
he  would  be  able  to  be  with  us  tomorrow. 

President  McKay  was  to  preside  tonight  but  I  think  probably 
he  has  been  delayed  in  a  traffic  jam.  If  our  streets  were  twice  as 
wide  maybe  we  never  would  get  here. 

The  singing  during  this  session  will  be  by  the  men  of  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir,  Elder  J.  Spencer  Cornwall  conducting  and  Elder  Alex- 
ander Schreiner  at  the  organ. 

The  opening  song  by  the  Choir  and  congregation  will  be  "Do 
What  Is  Right,"  after  which  President  Rulon  P.  Peterson  of  the 
Lake  View  Stake  will  offer  the  opening  prayer. 

Singing,  "Do  What  Is  Right." 

The  opening  prayer  was  offered  by  President  Rulon  P.  Peterson 
of  the  Lake  View  Stake. 

The  men  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  sang  the  hymn,  "O  My 
Father." 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


175 


President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.: 

This  is  a  great  gathering.  As  we  look  out  over  this  sea  of  faces 
and  see  the  crowd  in  the  doorways  and  standing  and  sitting  in  the 
aisles,  we  all  feel  that  this  is  the  greatest  meeting  we  have  ever  had.  I 
do  believe  that  tonight  in  the  matter  of  numbers,  we  have  the  largest 
number  the  Church  has  ever  seen.  There  is  no  other  place  in  the  world 
where  this  could  occur,  because  in  no  other  place  in  the  world 
could  there  be  a  body  of  Priesthood  of  this  size  holding  the  Priest- 
hood of  God. 

I  shall  have  something  to  say  a  little  later  so  I  shall  say  no  more 

now. 

Elder  Eben  R.  T.  Blomquist  will  please  come  to  the  stand. 
Brother  Alma  Peterson,  if  he  is  here,  former  president  of  the  Danish 
Mission,  will  please  come  to  the  stand  now,  and  President  E.  Bentley 
Mitchell  of  the  Tahitian  Mission. 

It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  tell  you  brethren  that  the  Priesthood 
we  hold  is  of  two  branches,  the  Aaronic  and  the  Melchizedek,  and 
we  will  ask  the  president  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  Bishop  LeGrand 
Richards  to  come  to  speak  to  us  now. 

BISHOP  LEGRAND  RICHARDS 

Presiding  Bishop  o/  the  Church  . . 
Just  as  soon  as  I  can  get  my  breath  I  will  start.  Brother  Ivins 
tells  the  story  of  a  deacon  who  was  called,  extemporaneously,  to 
speak  in  one  of  our  stakes.  He  stood  up  a  minute  and  switched  from 
one  foot  to  the  other  and  said,  "Brothers  and  sisters,  I  am  just  stalling 
for  time."  Then  he  preached  a  nice  sermon  on  the  Word  of  Wisdom. 
He  then  looked  at  them  and  said,  "I  have  surely  put  myself  on  the 
spot,  haven't  I?" 

Does  The  Gospel  Fit? 

Now  brethren,  I  am  happy  to  be  here;  I  am  happy  in  my  work 
in  the  Church;  I  love  the  brethren,  and  I  love  the  Saints.  I  have 
the  privilege  of  interviewing  a  good  many  missionaries  as  I  travel 
from  stake  to  stake,  and  I  always  ask  them  how  they  feel  about 
going  on  a  mission  and  how  the  gospel  fits  them.  I  say,  "When  you 
go  into  a  store  to  buy  a  suit  of  clothes,  it  either  fits  or  it  does  not  fit. 
Does  the  gospel  fit  you?  How  do  you  feel  when  you  hear  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith's  story  of  having  gone  into  the  woods  to  pray,  and 
having  seen  the  Father  and  the  Son  and  what  transpired  there?  Can 
you  accept  all  of  that;  do  you  believe  it?  Do  you  believe  that  John 
the  Baptist  came  and  conferred  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  upon  Joseph 
and  Oliver  and  that  Peter,  James,  and  John  conferred  the  Mel- 
chizedek Priesthood?  And  that  Elijah,  Elias,  and  Moses  brought  the 
keys  of  their  dispensations;  does  all  that  fit?"  When  they  say  it  does, 
then  I  say:  "Then  you  know  that  we  do  not  have  just  another 
Church — we  have  the  only  true  Church." 

I  feel  that  the  most  important  thing  in  our  teaching  in  this  Church 


176 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


is  to  try  to  impress  upon  our  people  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  and  I 
want  to  tell  you  from  my  experience  that  I  do  not  think  they  have  to 
be  old  men  and  old  women  to  know  the  gospel  is  true.  I  have  more 
young  people  at  our  conferences  tell  me  they  know  the  gospel  is 
true,  than  the  older  ones,  and  I  believe  them. 

On  the  day  of  Pentecost,  Peter  called  the  people  to  repentance 
and  they  were  pricked  in  their  hearts  and  said,  "Men  and  brethren, 
what  shall  we  do?  Then  Peter  said  unto  them,  repent  and  be  bap- 
tized, everyone  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  the 
promise  is  unto  you,  and  to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar 
off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call."  And  I  know  the 
promise  is  unto  our  children,  and  they  can  know  the  truth  of  the 
gospel  through  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  I  am  not  quite  so  much 
worried,  sometimes,  about  the  children  as  I  am  about  the  older  folk. 

Ezekiel's  Contribution 
I  attended  a  Sunday  School  class  not  very  long  ago,  and  they 
were  considering  the  life  and  mission  of  the  prophet,  Ezekiel,  and 
the  brother  in  charge  of  the  class  proceeded  to  say  that  we  did  not 
know  very  much  about  Ezekiel.  Then  he  told  a  little  about  the  con- 
dition of  the  world  at  the  time  Ezekiel  lived,  but  said  nothing  about 
his  teachings  or  prophecies.  He  was  about  to  close  the  class.  I  very 
seldom  say  anything  in  a  Sunday  School  class  when  I  am  there,  but 
I  said,  "Brother  So-and-so,  were  you  going  to  close  right  at  that 
point?"  He  said,  "I  thought  so,  is  there  anything  you  would  like  to 
add?"  I  told  the  class  that  Ezekiel  had  made  one  contribution  to  this 
great  Latter-day  cause  thousands  of  years  ago,  that  no  other  prophet 
had  made,  for  it  was  he  who  gave  us  the  knowledge  that  there  were 
two  records  to  be  kept,  not  only  one  of  Judah  and  his  posterity,  but 
one  of  Joseph  and  his  posterity,  and  save  for  Ezekiel  we  would  not 
know  that  there  was  to  be  another  volume  of  scripture,  and  I  said 
that  it  seems  to  me  we  ought  to  capitalize  on  what  Ezekiel  left  us. 

Missionary  Experiences 

It  reminded  me  of  when  I  was  in  the  mission  field  in  the  Eastern 
States.  Into  one  home  I  went,  the  man  was  not  a  member  of  the 
Church,  and  every  time  I  would  leave  he  would  say,  "I  believe  I 
have  been  a  Mormon  all  my  life,  but  did  not  know  it;"  but  I  could 
not  get  his  wife  to  come  in  and  listen  to  me.  She  would  go  into  the 
next  room  and  iron.  You  know  ironing  is  a  quiet  job.  I  do  not 
need  to  tell  you  that  I  usually  take  my  "loud-speaker"  along  with 
me,  just  in  case,  and  I  made  sure  she  heard  all  I  had  to  say.  The  last 
visit  I  made  there  I  said,  "Mrs.  McDonald,  you  would  surely  honor 
me  if  you  would  come  in  today  and  listen  to  me."  She  finally  con- 
sented. I  said,  "You  may  never  see  me  again  in  this  world."  We 
had  just  started  our  discussion  and  in  walked  her  son  from  Harvard 
College.  She  said,  "My  boy,  you  are  just  in  time.  You  take  this 
book,"  because  I  had  her  take  the  Bible  to  follow  me,  "and  you  show 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


177 


us  how  this  man  is  trying  to  lead  us  astray."  I  took  one  hour  and 
a  half  and  I  closed  my  Bible.  The  discussion  that  day  was  on  the 
House  of  Israel,  the  new  land  the  Lord  had  promised  to  Joseph,  the 
ultimate  final  gathering  in  the  latter  days,  and  the  two  records  to  be 
kept;  and  I  turned  to  her  son  from  Harvard  and  said,  "You  tell 
your  mother  how  I  am  trying  to  lead  you  astray,  will  you  please?" 
He  said,  "Mother,  this  man  is  not  trying  to  lead  you  astray,  he  is 
teaching  you  the  truth."  Before  I  left  she  said,  "Mr.  Richards,  even 
if  I  do  not  believe  all  you  say,  there  is  something  about  you  I  cannot 
help  but  like.  Will  you  pray  with  us  before  you  go?" 

In  that  same  city  we  were  holding  a  street  meeting,  and  the 
Gospel  Hall  people  were  holding  a  convention  a  short  distance  away. 
They  adjourned  their  meeting  to  come  and  try  and  break  up  ours. 
I  said,  "You  men  would  like  to  be  gentlemen,  wouldn't  you?"  As  I 
recall,  there  were  about  sixteen  ministers  there  that  night.  I  said, 
"You  give  us  twenty  minutes  to  finish  our  meeting  and  then  we 
will  stay  thirty  minutes  and  listen  to  you."  I  said  to  the  crowd, 
"Won't  we?"  There  were  between  two  and  three  hundred  there, 
and  they  indicated  they  would.  During  their  thirty  minutes  they 
painted  the  Prophet  Joseph  as  black  as  anybody  could.  "Why,"  they 
said,  "if  you  would  let  them,  the  Mormons  would  bind  the  Book  of 
Mormon  in  the  same  cover  with  the  Bible  and  ask  us  to  take  it 
and  like  it."  I  did  not  like  to  see  that  meeting  close  right  at  that 
point,  so  I  stepped  up  to  this  minister  and  said,  "You  would  not 
mind  if  I  made  an  announcement  before  the  meeting  closes,  would 
you?"  He  said,  "No,  go  ahead."  So  I  turned  to  the  crowd  and  said, 
"If  you  will  come  back  next  Tuesday  night  at  7:30  we  will  tell  you 
why  we  bind  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  the  same  cover  with  the  Bible 
and  ask  you  to  take  it  and  like  it."  And  I  said,  "Bring  your  Bibles 
along  with  you  because  you  will  not  need  them  after  next  Tuesday 
night  if  you  are  not  willing  to  accept  the  companion  volume  of  scrip- 
ture. Ezekiel  said  the  Lord  would  bring  forth  the  record  of  Joseph 
which  He  would  join  to  the  record  of  the  Jews  and  the  two  should 
become  one  in  His  hand."  When  they  came  that  night,  and  the 
crowd  was  larger  than  the  previous  one,  I  said,  "How  can  any  of 
us  stay  the  hand  of  God  from  bringing  forth  the  record  He  has 
promised?"  As  I  remember  we  sold  sixteen  copies  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  that  night. 

Well,  I  have  had  so  many  experiences  that  I  cannot  understand 
why  we  cannot  plant  the  truth  in  the  hearts  of  our  people  until  no 
outside  thing  or  movement  in  the  world  can  have  any  influence  with 
them.  We  have  so  much  more  to  offer  than  any  other  church  in 
the  world. 

I  was  out  tracting  in  that  city  one  day  and  I  had  been  to  a  par- 
ticular house  several  times  when  the  lady  of  the  house  said,  "Mr. 
Richards,  what  are  you  trying  to  do  anyway,  are  you  trying  to  make 
Mormons  out  of  all  of  us?"  "Well,"  I  said,  "I  will  tell  you  one  thing, 
I  will  never  ask  you  to  join  the  Mormon  Church,"  and  that  seemed 


178 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


to  put  her  mind  at  ease.  Then  I  said,  "If  I  could  show  you  where  you 
could  trade  a  dollar  for  five  dollars,  I  would  not  have  to  ask  you  to 
do  it,  would  I-"  After  I  had  been  home  a  few  months  I  received  a 
letter  from  her  calling  me  "Brother  Richards."  She  said,  "I  decided 
to  trade  the  dollar  for  five  dollars.  I  was  baptized  a  member  of  the 
Church  last  Friday  night." 

I  think  that  any  elder  in  Israel  who  cannot  make  Mormonism 
look  better  than  five  to  one  had  better  get  hold  of  the  scriptures  and 
go  to  work  and  study  the  gospel. 

I  was  in  The  Hague,  Holland,  and  was  invited  into  the  home  of 
the  owner  of  a  large  furniture  store.  His  associates  were  all  business 
men.  I  cannot  take  the  time  to  tell  you  how  I  got  there,  but  I  was 
there  by  invitation,  and  I  was  there  to  discuss  a  certain  subject  of 
the  gospel — the  universal  salvation  of  man,  including  the  work  for 
the  dead.  This  happened  to  be  a  Bible  class  and  they  spent  a  night 
each  week  studying  together.  They  all  had  their  Bibles  and  they 
turned  the  class  over  to  me.  After  having  discussed  this  subject  for 
about  an  hour  and  a  half,  I  closed  my  Bible  and  there  wasn't  anything 
said  for  a  few  minutes.  Finally  the  daughter  of  the  house  turned  to 
her  father  and  said,  "Father,  I  cannot  understand;  you  always  have 
the  last  word  to  say  on  everything  and  tonight  you  have  not  said  a 
word."  He  said,  "My  daughter,  there  isn't  anything  to  say.  This 
man  is  teaching  us  things  we  have  never  heard  of  before  and  he  is 
teaching  them  to  us  out  of  our  own  Bibles."  And  he  did  not  have 
anything  to  say. 

Well,  why  don't  we  teach  these  things  to  our  children  until 
they  become  like  the  Rock  of  Gibraltar,  founded  upon  a  faith  that 
cannot  be  moved? 

Eternal  Marriage 

You  take  our  principle  of  eternal  marriage  and  the  eternal  dura- 
tion of  the  marriage  covenant.  I  have  had  similar  experiences  in 
teaching  this  principle.  I  spoke  on  this  subject  in  Quitman,  Georgia, 
and  I  took  the  statement  from  Brother  Rulon  Howells'  book,  "Do 
Men  Believe  What  Their  Church  Prescribes?"  and  read  what  other 
churches  prescribe  on  this  subject.  There  is  no  church  I  have  ever 
heard  of  that  believes  the  marriage  tie  or  the  family  unit  will  endure 
beyond  the  grave.  We  cannot  imagine  anybody  being  satisfied  with 
a  religion  like  that  unless  he  is  like  the  lady  I  met  back  in  New 
Bedford.  I  tried  to  teach  her  this  principle  and  she  said,  "I'll  tell 
you,  Mr.  Richards,  if  there  is  any  marriage  relationship  beyond  the 
grave,  I'll  take  chances  on  getting  something  better  than  I  have  now." 
(Laughter.)  "If  I  live  with  my  husband  until  I  die,  I  think  I  will 
have  done  pretty  well." 

As  I  say,  I  spoke  on  this  subject  in  Quitman,  Georgia,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  meeting  a  Baptist  minister  came  up  and  introduced 
himself  and  told  me  who  he  was.  I  said,  "Did  I  misquote  you,"  be- 
cause I  had  read  of  the  belief  of  the  Baptist  Church  on  this  subject. 
He  said,  "No,  Mr.  Richards,  it  is  just  like  you  say,  we  do  not  all 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


179 


believe  all  the  things  our  churches  prescribe."  I  said,  "You  do  not 
believe  it  either.  Why  do  you  not  go  home  and  teach  your  people 
the  truth.  They  will  be  glad  to  receive  it  from  you,  and  they  are 
not  yet  ready  to  accept  it  from  the  Mormon  elders."  That  was  all 
I  could  get  out  of  him.  He  said,  "I  will  see  you  again." 

The  next  time  I  went  to  Quitman  my  picture  appeared  in  the 
paper,  because  I  was  president  of  the  mission,  and  when  I  went  up 
to  that  little  church  he  was  waiting  for  me.  I  said,  "I  would  be  glad 
to  know  what  you  thought  of  my  last  sermon."  He  said,  "Mr.  Rich- 
ards, I  have  been  thinking  about  it  ever  since  and  I  believe  every 
word  you  said,  only  I  would  like  to  have  heard  the  rest  of  it."  You 
know  I  never  quite  get  finished  on  a  subject,  the  clock  travels  too 
fast.  This  principle  is  not  difficult  for  even  ministers  to  accept  when 
you  explain  it  to  them. 

I  was  at  the  Manti  Temple  recently  with  my  father,  and  Presi- 
dent Anderson,  who  is  here  tonight,  told  of  a  minister  who  had 
visited  the  temple  grounds  a  few  weeks  ago.  When  he  heard  our 
story  of  our  belief  in  eternal  marriage  and  the  eternal  duration  of 
the  family  unit  he  said,  "You  know,  I  had  two  of  my  young  people 
come  to  me  recently,  and  they  wanted  me  to  marry  them  for  time 
and  all  eternity,"  and  he  said,  "I  did  it.  I  thought  that  was  the  kind 
of  marriage  we  all  ought  to  have,  but  they  do  not  teach  it  in  their 
churches." 

I  spent  an  hour  and  a  half  in  the  study  of  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent ministers  in  the  United  States.  He  died  a  few  weeks  ago,  and 
at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  chaplain  of  the  United  States  Senate. 
While  I  was  in  his  study  we  discussed  this  subject.  He  said,  "Mr. 
Richards,  our  church  does  not  give  us  any  hope  that  there  will  be 
a  continuation  of  the  marriage  tie  or  the  family  unit  beyond  this  life, 
but  in  my  heart  I  find  stubborn  objections."  Then  he  used  this  illus- 
tration, and  it  was  better  than  I  could  have  given  him.  I  have  used 
it  since,  myself.  He  said,  "When  you  take  the  kitten  away  from  the 
cat,  in  a  few  days  the  cat  has  forgotten  all  about  the  kitten,  and 
when  you  take  the  calf  away  from  the  cow,  in  a  few  days  the  cow  has 
forgotten  about  its  calf;  but  when  you  take  the  child  away  from  its 
mother's  bosom,  though  she  lives  to  be  a  hundred  years  old,  she 
never  forgets  the  child  of  her  bosom.  I  find  it  difficult  to  believe  that 
God  created  love  like  that  to  perish  in  the  grave."  But  he  could  not 
tell  his  people  that  from  the  pulpit  because  he  could  not  hold  his  job 
and  teach  them  Mormonism. 

I  want  to  tell  you  that  we  have  so  much  more  than  any  other 
church  that  five  to  one  does  not  begin  to  show  it.  Why  do  we  not 
get  into  the  hearts  of  our  boys  and  girls  and  our  men  and  women 
so  that  no  power  under  heaven  will  have  the  power  to  take  them 
away  from  this  Church. 

God  bless  you  in  the  great  work  you  are  doing,  I  pray,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


180 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


ELDER  EBEN  R.  T.  BLOMQUIST 

Former  President  of  the  Swedish  Mission 

I  am  reminded  tonight  of  forty-one  years  ago,  I  arrived  as  an 
immigrant  boy  in  Salt  Lake  City.  It  was  conference  time,  October. 
As  we  left  the  train  and  walked  up  the  street,  we  came  to  the  Temple 
Block,  and  people  had  gathered  here  by  the  hundreds.  I  shall  never 
forget  when  I  came  into  the  Tabernacle.  I  heard  the  beautiful  music. 
I  looked  at  the  Apostles,  the  prophets  of  God.  A  dream  had  been 
realized;  the  longing  to  come  to  Zion  and  participate  had  been 
fulfilled. 

Four  years  ago  in  October  conference,  I  sat  and  listened  and 
everyone  who  spoke  referred  to  the  tremendous  missionary  work 
that  was  before  us.  Missionaries  would  be  sent  all  over  the  world 
again,  to  the  north  and  south,  and  so  forth,  thousands  of  them. 
Silently  within  my  heart  I  prayed  that  I  would  be  given  an  oppor- 
tunity to  go  back  to  my  native  land  and  preach  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

A  few  days  later  I  received  a  call  from  President  McKay  asking 
me  to  come  to  his  office,  and  then  I  was  asked,  together  with  Sister 
Blomquist,  to  go  to  Sweden.  I  shall  never  forget  the  feelings  that 
came  over  me. 

It  was  a  wonderful  and  interesting  experience  to  go  back  to 
Sweden.  Sweden  had  not  been  at  war.  It  was  neutral.  It  had  been 
at  peace  with  the  world.  Things  were  in  a  fine  condition  there.  We 
had  only  a  few  local  missionaries,  but  there  was  a  longing  desire 
within  my  heart  that  the  little  land  which  was  part  of  the  Swedish 
Mission,  Finland,  should  also  have  a  fairer  chance. 

President  Benson,  who  presided  over  the  European  Mission, 
came  over  to  Sweden.  He  was  the  first  Apostle  that  had  been  there 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  how  the  people  loved  him.  They  stood 
by  the  door  and  wanted  to  shake  his  hand.  He  was  loved  by  all 
of  them. 

We  traveled  to  Finland,  and  there  up  in  the  northern  part  was 
a  little  group  of  the  Saints,  that  had  been  there  for  many  years, 
gathered  together.  Early  one  morning  Finland  was  again  re-dedi- 
cated and  opened  for  missionary  activity. 

It  did  not  take  very  long  until  we  started  to  hold  meetings,  and 
people  came  by  the  hundreds,  yes,  by  the  thousands,  and  listened  to 
the  gospel  message.  In  most  places  we  did  not  have  large  enough 
places  or  homes  to  meet  in,  so  people  would  stand  up  for  two  and 
three  hours  and  listen  to  our  message. 

We  did  not  have  any  literature  in  the  Finnish  language.  We 
had  it  in  Swedish,  and  so  there  was  a  matter  of  using  two  inter- 
preters, very  often,  one  from  English  to  Swedish,  from  Swedish  to 
Finnish,  so  a  fifteen-minute  sermon  would  take  about  forty-five 
minutes,  but  the  people  listened. 

There  was  hardly  any  room  to  be  had  for  our  Elders,  but  two 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


181 


people  became  interested.  They  asked  if  they  could  come  to  Sweden. 
We  did  not  have  very  much  room  over  there,  but  I  took  my  private 
office,  put  in  a  couple  of  beds,  so  this  couple  could  come  over  to 
Sweden,  have  a  room  in  which  they  could  stay,  and  our  Elders 
could  use  their  room  over  in  Helsingfors,  Finland.  Thus  the  work 
started. 

These  fine  people  that  came  to  Sweden  thought  they  had  been 
treated  so  nicely  that  they  wanted  to  do  something  for  the  Church. 
They  had  a  very  fine  friend  over  in  Finland  who  was  a  good  trans- 
lator, and  he  started  to  translate,  but  he  said:  "I  will  have  nothing 
to  do  with  the  Church,  or  nothing  to  do  with  the  Mormons."  His 
father-in-law  was  a  theologian  and  a  teacher  at  one  of  the  univer- 
sities, but  he  started  to  translate,  first  a  series  of  tracts  written  by 
Doctor  Widtsoe  and  later  those  written  by  Brother  Charles  W. 
Penrose.  And  as  he  was  translating  these  tracts,  he  tried,  he  wanted 
to  find  something  wrong  with  them.  He  read  the  Articles  of  Faith, 
the  Book  of  Mormon  and  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  He  wanted 
to  find  fault,  but  a  year  later,  as  we  visited  in  Helsingfors  and  we 
were  about  ready  to  turn  over  the  mission  to  a  new  Mission  Presi- 
dent, as  Finland  had  become  an  independent  mission,  he  told  me 
how  he  had  studied  the  gospel,  how  he  had  tried  to  live  it,  and  now 
he  was  positive  that  this  was  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  the  true  and  living  God. 

I  said:  "Would  you  like  to  tell  this  congregation  here  tonight 
of  what  you  have  found?" 

He  did.  The  next  day  he  was  baptized  into  the  Church.  He  is 
now  the  First  Counselor  to  the  Mission  President. 

You  would  like  to  know,  perhaps,  what  happened  to  the  folks 
that  came  to  Stockholm.  Well,  they  are  also  members  of  the  Church 
and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Branch  Presidency. 

It  was  a  matter  of  opening  up  new  branches,  and  we  have  at 
the  present  time,  forty-four  in  Sweden.  Now  we  have  had  approxi- 
mately a  hundred  and  twenty-five  missionaries.  The  work  has  gone 
forward.  The  elders  have  gone  into  new  places,  and  there  they 
have  borne  their  testimonies  and,  strange  as  it  may  be,  after  they 
have  been  in  a  little  town  for  a  month  or  two  they  have  made  friends 
and  shortly  after  that  they  have  baptized  new  folks  into  the  Church. 

The  ministers  of  the  different  churches  have  found  that  we  have 
been  very  successful,  as  through  the  kindness  of  the  First  Presidency 
and  the  General  Authorities,  we  have  been  able  to  purchase  six  build- 
ings over  in  Sweden  which  we  have  renovated  and  made  into  fine, 
beautiful  chapels.  We  have  these  buildings  located  in  the  finest  loca- 
tions in  the  best  part  of  the  cities,  and  most  of  them  are  surrounded 
with  a  beautiful  little  park,  with  trees,  lawn,  shrubs  and  flowers. 

The  missionaries  have  done  a  most  excellent  work,  and  I  should 
not  forget  now  to  bring  greetings  from  your  boys  and  girls  over  there. 
They  are  wonderful  missionaries.  They  are  doing  an  excellent  job. 

I  have  been  asked  several  times  since  I  came  home,  "How  is  the 


182 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


political  situation  in  Sweden?"  I  like  to  tell  you  that  Sweden  in  itself 
is  a  beautiful  country.  It  is  like  the  Garden  of  Eden,  flowers,  forests, 
lakes,  and  beautiful,  orderly  cities,  and  wonderful  people. 
"Are  you  now  scared  of  the  Russians?" 

The  people  over  in  Sweden  are  not  concerned  about  the  situa- 
tion very  much.  They  have  maintained  a  neutral  quality,  because 
of  their  strategic  position. 

"But  aren't  many  things  socialized  over  there?" 

Yes,  things  are  over-socialized  over  there.  When  I  left  Sweden 
I  had  a  little  taint  of  liberalism  in  me,  but  I  want  you  to  know  that 
it  has  been  taken  out  of  me,  because  I  have  seen  where  we  can 
socialize  things  so  much  that  it  becomes  rather  bad  instead  of  good. 

I  could  tell  you  about  how  you  can  get  a  building  renovated 
over  in  Sweden.  I  could  tell  you  that  if  you  want  to  put  in  a  little 
stove  that  you  cannot  put  in  yourself,  though  you  could  do  it  in 
fifteen  minutes,  but  you  would  have  to  have  five  or  ten  inspectors 
come  and  see  first  where  you  are  going  to  put  it  and  then  spend  two 
days  in  putting  it  in. 

Now  I  hope  that  the  day  will  never  come  when  we  shall  so 
have  our  liberties  taken  away  from  us  that  we  cannot  do  a  little 
task  at  home  but  must  have  somebody  else  do  it  for  us. 

I  should  say  something  about  socialized  medicine.  Many  have 
asked  me  regarding  it.  We  have  some  of  the  finest  hospitals  that 
could  be  built  any  place  in  the  world,  and  I  want  to  tell  you  that  the 
people  enjoy  being  sick.  And  I  want  you  to  know  that  people  enjoy 
short  hours.  They  enjoy  forgetting  to  work. 

Now  I  want  to  bear  you  my  testimony  that  I  was  happy  when 
I  again  saw  the  stars  and  stripes,  when  I  saw  the  Statue  of  Liberty. 
And  as  I  came  into  the  New  York  harbor,  I  sent  up  a  silent  prayer 
that  the  land  of  liberty  should  always  remain  the  land  for  which 
God  has  prepared  it. 

May  God  grant  that  each  and  everyone  of  us  may  follow  the 
leadership  of  this  Church.  As  I  have  listened  during  this  conference 
I  have  felt  how  these  men  of  God  have  stood  before  us  and  said, 
like  the  prophets  in  the  days  of  old,  "Come,  let  us  get  together,"  like 
the  Prophet  Isaiah  said,  "Come,  let  us  get  together." 

May  God  grant  that  we  may  continue  to  be  faithful,  and  that 
these  wonderful  Saints  who  have  come  from  all  over  the  world  may 
find  Zion  within  them,  and  Zion  here. 

I  thank  you  for  the  kindness  that  you  have  extended  to  the 
Saints  that  have  come  from  Sweden.  They  are  wonderful  people 
and  you  will  be  blessed  for  everything  that  you  have  done.  The 
other  day  a  sister  came  to  me  and  said:  "I  have  a  letter  here  from 
President  Widtsoe,  and  he  is  welcoming  me  here,  and  then  he  has 
said,  'Is  there  anything  that  we  can  do  for  you  to  help  you?'  "  My, 
what  a  service,  what  a  love,  and  what  a  great  thing  the  Welfare 
Program  is. 

God  bless  you  all,  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Amen. 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


183 


President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.: 

President  Blomquist  is  one  who  has  some  familiarity  with  the 
problems  that  must  have  faced  Sweden  in  this  war,  with  Russia  on 
one  side  and  German-occupied  Norway  on  the  other.  I  would  like 
to  tell  you  what  the  leader  of  the  Salvation  Army  in  Sweden  said  to 
me  when  he  was  here.  I  commented  on  the  remarkable  skill  which 
Sweden  must  have  exercised  in  order  to  keep  out  of  this  turmoil  and 
he  said,  "Well,  we  think  we  were  inspired."  I  confess  I  do  not  see 
how  they  could  have  done  what  they  did  do  without,  for  some  reason 
in  the  purposes  of  the  Lord,  they  had  inspiration. 

We  will  next  hear  from  Brother  E.  Bentley  Mitchell,  former 
president  of  the  Tahitian  Mission. 

ELDER  E.  BENTLEY  MITCHELL 

Former  President  of  the  Tahitian  Mission 

I  must  confess,  my  dear  brothers,  that  I  am  more  than  over- 
whelmed as  I  stand  here  in  the  most  important  gathering  of  men  in 
the  world  today,  in  this  gathering  of  the  priesthood  of  our  Father 
in  heaven. 

Before  I  start,  I  would  like  to  make  this  one  comment  that 
henceforth  and  hereafter,  I  shall  try  a  little  harder  to  be  a  law  abiding 
citizen.  Henceforth  when  I  come  to  conference  I  will  make  a  little 
more  effort  to  find  a  seat. 

Five  years  ago,  at  the  October  conference,  I  had  the  privilege 
of  attending  these  meetings,  and  not  long  after  that  I  departed  for 
the  islands  of  the  sea,  and  it  was  necessary,  unfortunately,  that  my 
family  should  remain  behind  for  a  period.  For  nine  long  months  I 
waited  in  Tahiti  for  the  war  to  end,  for  transportation  to  be  made 
available,  that  my  dear  wife  and  children  might  join  me  there. 

I  would  like  to  thank  my  Father  in  heaven  and  to  bear  witness 
before  you,  the  priesthood  of  this  Church,  of  the  gratefulness  of  my 
heart  for  the  privilege  that  our  Father  in  heaven  and  the  leaders 
which  he  has  called  to  preside  over  this  Church,  gave  me  and  my 
family  when  we  were  called  to  the  Tahitian  Mission. 

I  labored  there  some  three  years  and  seven  months,  from  1930 
to  1934,  and  I  left  there  a  portion  of  my  heart  with  those  fine  people 
of  the  Pacific  Islands,  those  fine  Polynesian  people,  and  of  course 
we  were  happy  to  return.  For  eighteen  long  months  we  labored  in 
the  mission  without  the  benefit  of  the  help  of  the  elders  of  Zion, 
and  then,  as  the  war  was  finished  and  transportation  became  avail- 
able, we  had  the  privilege  of  greeting,  in  our  mission,  the  first  four 
missionaries  to  return  after  the  war  had  ended. 

I  would  like  to  pay  a  tribute  also  to  those  fine  brethren  who 
labored  in  the  Tahitian  Mission  with  us.  If  we  did  have  any  success 
as  we  labored  there,  that  success  was  due  to  the  fine  support  and  to 


184 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


the  marvelous  missionary  boys  that  labored  with  us.  I  think  I  am 
safe  in  saying  that  no  finer  boys  ever  went  out  into  the  mission  field 
than  those  elders  who  labored  with  us.  I  know  that  the  Lord  will 
bless  them  richly  and  abundantly  for  their  fine  efforts,  for  the  great 
work  that  they  did  there. 

For  many  years  the  Church  had  not  been  permitted  to  labor 
in  some  of  the  islands  of  the  Society  group,  and  we  were  fortunate 
and  blessed  by  the  Lord  in  being  able  to  reopen  that  portion  of  the 
mission,  Tubuai  the  first  place  where  the  gospel  was  preached  in 
the  Pacific  Islands  by  Addison  Pratt  and  others  who  were  sent  out 
by  Joseph  Smith.  We  were  able  to  reopen  that  portion  of  the 
mission  after  nine  long  years,  and  it  was  most  gratifying  to  go  back 
there  and  find  that  our  people  had  remained,  for  the  most  part,  true 
to  the  faith,  and  that  they  had  throughout  those  long  years  main- 
tained their  activities  in  the  Church,  and  they  had  maintained  a 
prayer  in  their  hearts  that  some  day  the  Lord,  in  his  goodness,  would 
return  the  missionaries  from  Zion  to  them. 

We  were  also  very  fortunate  in  being  able  to  obtain  property 
on  which  could  be  erected  a  fine  new  chapel  and  other  facilities  for 
the  use  of  the  Tahitian  people.  For  many  long  years  that  need  had 
existed.  The  Lord  blessed  us  and  we  were  able  to  purchase  property 
on  which  to  build  a  fine  new  building.  That  building  is  almost  com- 
pleted now,  and  it  will  be  the  best  missionary  that  the  Tahitian 
Mission  ever  had. 

I  remember  one  time  going  over  to  the  Island  of  Bora  Bora  by 
plane  to  meet  with  some  of  our  Saints  over  there  and  to  discuss 
with  members  of  one  of  the  other  religious  groups  there  the  pos- 
sibility of  sending  missionaries  to  that  island,  and  though  those 
people  had  never  seen  me  before,  when  I  stepped  from  the  plane,  the 
first  thing  they  said  was:  "Good  morning,  President  Mitchell,  how 
is  the  building  program  coming?  How  soon  will  our  new  building 
be  completed?" 

Those  people  were  not  members  of  the  Church,  but  they  looked 
to  the  Church  with  a  great  deal  of  anticipation,  and  the  Church  in 
the  Tahitian  Mission  is  before  the  eyes  of  all  the  people.  We  were 
fortunate  also  in  having  the  good  will  of  the  government  there.  We 
had  the  cooperation  and  the  respect  and  the  good  will  of  several  of  the 
governors  who  were  there  during  our  time,  and  most  particularly  did 
we  find  the  blessing  of  friendshipvwith  the  governor  who  is  there  at 
the  present  time.  He  very  kindly  extended  us  an  invitation  to  return 
to  Tahiti  to  stay  as  long  as  we  wanted.  And  he  came  down  to  the 
wharf  when  we  left,  and  he  placed  a  garland  of  flowers  on  my  neck 
and  asked  that  sometime  I  might  come  back. 

Well,  now,  that  is  the  work  of  the  Lord,  brothers.  It  was  not 
anything  that  we  did  of  ourselves.  The  Lord  blessed  us,  and  I  want 
to  bear  that  testimony  to  you. 

We  were  fortunate  in  being  able  to  commence  the  work  among 
the  Chinese  of  Tahiti,  of  which  there  are  18,000  living  there,  and 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


185 


since  last  October  there  have  been  some  forty-five  full-blooded 
Chinese  people  join  the  Church  in  Tahiti,  the  first  in  Tahiti  in  any 
large  numbers,  and  they  are  the  finest  young  people  that  we  have  in 
the  Tahitian  Mission.  They  are  sincere,  they  are  honest,  they  are 
clean,  and  the  Church  means  everything  in  the  world  to  them. 

I  see  my  time  is  up,  but  I  cannot  sit  down  without  bearing  my  tes- 
timony to  you,  that  I  know  that  this  is  the  true  and  the  living  gospel, 
and  that  I  know  that  these  leaders  who  sit  here  are  inspired  men  of 
God.  I  know,  brethren,  through  the  experience  that  the  Lord  has 
blessed  me  with,  that  great  joy  and  satisfaction  can  come  into  our 
lives  through  service,  and  I  ask  humbly  that  my  Father  in  heaven 
might  yet  see  fit  to  use  me  in  the  service  of  his  children  here  upon 
the  earth. 

It  is  a  glorious  thing  to  labor  in  the  mission  field,  and  I  shall 
ever  be  grateful  for  it.  I  bear  my  testimony  to  you,  in  the  name  of  our 
Lord  and  Master.  Amen. 


The  Choir  and  congregation  sang  the  hymn,  "Now  Let  Us  Re- 
joice." 

PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 

Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

I  am  sure  that  everyone  present  feels  to  say  sincerely  in  his  own 
heart,  thank  the  Lord  for  the  spirit  of  the  brotherhood  of  Christ.  I 
am  overwhelmed  at  this  vast  audience.  I  believe  it  is  the  largest 
Priesthood  meeting  held  in  the  history  of  the  Church.  We  sense 
even  though  dimly  that  the  strength  of  Zion  is  to  "put  on  the  author- 
ity of  the  priesthood." 

I  pray  for  the  inspiration  of  the  Lord,  and  for  your  sympathy 
while  I  attempt  to  say  something  which  will  be  of  interest  and  value 
to  you  leaders  of  Zion. 

"Evils  and  Designs" 

One  of  the  most  significant  statements  in  the  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants, one  which  carries  with  it  evidence  of  the  inspiration  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  is  found  in  the  89th  Section  of  the  Doctrine 
and  Covenants: 

In  consequence  of  evils  and  designs  which  do  and  will  exist  in  the 
hearts  of  conspiring  men  in  the  last  days,  I  have  warned  you,  and  fore- 
warn you,  by  giving  unto  you  this  word  of  wisdom  by  revelation  .  .  . 
(D.  &  C.  89:4.) 

Methods  of  Tobacco  Interests 

"Evils  and  designs  which  do  and  will  exist  in  the  hearts  of  con- 
spiring men.  .  .  ."  The  purport  of  that  impressed  me  in  the  twenties, 


186 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


and  the  thirties  of  this  century.  I  just  ask  you  men  tonight  to  re- 
call the  methods  employed  by  certain  tobacco  interests  to  induce 
women  to  smoke  cigarettes. 

You  remember  how  insidiously  they  launched  their  plan.  First, 
by  saying  that  it  would  reduce  weight.  They  had  a  slogan:  "Take 
a  cigarette  instead  of  a  sweet." 

Later,  some  of  us  who  like  the  theatre,  noticed  that  they  would 
have  a  young  lady  light  the  gentleman's  cigarette.  Following  this 
a  woman's  hand  would  be  shown  on  billboards  lighting  or  taking  a 
cigarette.  A  year  or  two  passed  and  soon  they  were  brazen  enough 
to  show  the  lady  on  the  screen  or  on  the  billboard  smoking  the 
cigarette. 

I  find  here  a  clipping  which  I  set  aside  in  the  early  thirties,  which 
corroborates  this  idea.    This  is  1931: 

It  is  well  known  that  the  cigarette  manufacturers  are  after  the 
young  women  and  girls,  now.  They  say  there  are  twenty-five  million 
of  these  in  the  United  States,  and  if  they  can  popularize  smoking  among 
them,  they  will  be  able  to  increase  their  sales  from  three  billions,  six 
hundred  million  dollars  annually  to  six  billion  dollars.  This  is  their 
claim  and  their  aim. 

Cigarette  Advertising 

Now,  it  is  common  to  see  beautiful  young  women  depicted  on 
billboards,  and  in  the  popular  journals  advertising  certain  brands 
of  cigarettes.  "Last  year  three  of  the  large  cigarette  manufacturers, 
we  are  informed,  spent  fifty-four  million  dollars  in  advertising  their 
wares.  This  is  probably  a  greater  outlay  than  has  ever  before  been 
spent  to  popularize  any  kind  of  merchandise. 

"There  is  hardly  a  dead  wall  in  the  country  or  a  railroad  right 
of  way  that  escapes  the  cigarette  posters.  The  revenue  from  one 
Broadway,  New  York,  billboard  covering  the  front  of  a  building,  it 
is  said,  exceeds  the  rent  for  the  building  itself. 

"The  radio  has  become  one  of  the  most  successful  means  of 
advertising  cigarettes.  Attractive  programs  are  presented,  not  for  the 
purpose  of  entertaining  the  youth,  but  for  the  purpose  of  enticing  and 
encouraging  them  to  reach  for  a  cigarette. 

"Parents  meekly  submit  to  this  and  later  deplore  the  fact  when 
their  children  are  hopeless  cigarette  addicts." 

I  may  be  wrong,  but  I  thought  I  saw  an  indication  recently  that 
conspiring  men  now  have  evil  designs  upon  our  youth.  Keep  your 
eyes  and  ears  open,  to  observe  if  they  are  not  taking  the  same  steps 
now  to  get  our  young  men  as  they  did  to  entice  women  to  use  that 
vile  weed.   You  know  that : 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


187 


Sin  is  a  monster  of  such  hideous  mien, 
As  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be  seen, 
But  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  its  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace. 

Confidence  in  Youth 

Lest  you  might  think  from  what  I  am  going  to  say  in  giving  some 
statistics,  that  I  am  losing  confidence  in  the  youth,  I  want  to  say  here 
that  my  confidence  in  them  is  unshaken.  Every  week  I  sit  with  my 
brethren  and  hear  recommends  from  you  bishops,  of  young  men  and 
young  women  to  go  on  missions.  While  there  are  some  whom  we 
think  you  should  not  have  recommended,  the  great  majority  of  these 
young  men  and  young  women  are  the  noblest  in  the  land.  They  are 
not  addicts;  they  are  not  seeking  evil  ways;  they  have  high  ideals. 

The  young  men,  even  the  boys  in  Sunday  School,  particularly 
those  in  the  Deacons  Quorums,  Teachers  and  Priests,  and  girls  of 
corresponding  age,  are  a  credit  to  the  parents,  a  credit  to  the  Church. 
As  an  illustration,  out  in  Uintah  recently,  I  had  the  privilege  of 
dedicating  three  church  edifices.  I  learned  from  the  president  of  the 
stake  that  many  people  had  "given  their  all." 

Examples  of  Devotion 

I  have  heard  that  expression  in  other  places,  and  took  it  at  first 
that  it  was  just  an  exaggerated  expression  of  devotion.  But  when  I 
learned  on  this  occasion  of  a  widow  who  had  given  all  she  could 
possibly  give — others,  each  of  whom  had  sold  their  last  cow,  and 
others  who  had  taken  the  tax  money  that  had  been  saved,  then  I 
began  to  realize  that  there  was  something  in  that  phrase.  And  the 
whole  thing  was  climaxed  by  the  following  incident. 

The  ward  was  putting  forth  every  effort  to  finish  the  meeting- 
house, but  it  was  unpaid  for.  They  needed  more  money.  I  am  not 
sure  that  young  boy's  father  is  in  the  Church.  I  think  he  is,  but 
he  would  not  contribute,  and  I  have  to  imagine  the  devotion  of  his 
mother.  But  this  young  boy,  about  fourteen,  had  saved  money  by 
shining  shoes,  washing  automobiles,  doing  odd  chores,  and  had  saved 
a  hundred  and  fifty-nine  dollars. 

He  had  heard  of  a  recent  call  for  more  contributions  and  said 
to  the  president  of  the  stake  who  was  cashier  of  the  bank:  "I  need 
the  nine  dollars,  but  I  wish  you  would  take  the  hundred  and  fifty 
and  give  to  the  bishop  to  help  pay  the  cost  of  that  meetinghouse." 

"But,"  said  the  president,  "you  cannot  afford  it." 

"Yes,  I  can." 

He  gave  his  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  as  a  contribution.  Several 
months  passed  and  the  ward  needed  more  money,  and  that  young 
boy  out  of  his  meager  savings  gave  a  total  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars. 


188 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


An  entire  group  of  the  lesser  priesthood  taking  turns  in  shifts 
carried  every  brick  from  one  old  meetinghouse  over  to  the  new. 

Well,  I  could  multiply  incidents  of  the  devotion  of  the  youth, 
so  I  have  not  lost  confidence  in  them,  but,  we  must  not  close  our 
eyes  to  the  approaching  wolves  who  would  ravish  the  flock.  We 
must  not  close  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  there  are  conspiring  men 
who  would  pollute  young  boys,  and  girls  of  corresponding  age  for 
sake  of  increasing  profits.  I  have  these  things  in  mind  as  I  read 
you  the  following  statistics: 

A  Vice  to  be  Shunned 

I  think  tobacco  is  a  vice  which  should  be  shunned  as  the  bite  of 
a  rattlesnake.  When  I  say  that,  I  am  not  unaware  of  the  fact  that 
though  seemingly  there  are  some  young  men  who  can  use  tobacco 
without  serious  injury,  there  are  many  others  who  are  poisoned, 
their  character  weakened,  and  their  health  undermined  by  the  in- 
gredients of  the  cigarette.  The  Lord  has  said  that  tobacco  is  not 
good  for  man.    That  should  be  sufficient  for  Latter-day  Saints. 

Too  many  of  our  boys  are  tampering  with  cigarettes.  I  do  not 
like  to  hear  tobacco  programs  on  the  radio.  Young  people  say: 
"Well,  they  are  the  best  we  have."  Of  course  they  are,  because 
tobacco  interests  can  pay  the  highest  salaries  and  get  the  best 
actors,  and  singers  to  further  their  evil  "designs." 

Report  on  Delinquency 

I  have  been  favored  recently,  as  I  have  told  you  once  before, 
in  receiving  a  monthly  report  of  the  young  people  who  are  arrested  in 
Salt  Lake  County.  Note  from  the  following  how  many  delinquents 
are  users  of  tobacco: 

In  January  there  were  94  fingerprinted.  Eighty  of  these  were 
tobacco  users,  and  sixty-eight  used  liquor.  Twenty-two  of  them 
belonged  to  our  Church;  thirty  to  the  Catholics,  twenty-seven  to  the 
Protestants,  and  fifteen  no  religion  at  all.  There  were  five  deacons, 
three  priests  and  five  elders  among  them. 

February  there  were  seventy-one  fingerprinted.  Fifty-six  used 
tobacco  and  fifty-one  drank  liquor. 

March,  eighty-eight.  Seventy-eight  tobacco  users,  and  seventy- 
four  drinkers. 

April,  there  were  a  hundred  and  four.  Eighty-seven  used  to- 
bacco, eighty-six  used  liquor. 

May,  ninety-three.  Seventy-five  tobacco,  sixty-seven  liquor. 

June,  ninety-four.  Ninety-two  tobacco  users,  eighty-six  whiskey. 

July,  one  hundred  and  six.  Ninety-four  tobacco  users,  eighty- 
eight  liquor. 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


189 


Out  of  the  six  hundred  and  fifty,  five  hundred  and  sixty-two 
used  tobacco,  five  hundred  and  twentyy  drank  liquor. 

Tobacco  and  Lung  Cancer 

Recently  there  came  to  this  city  a  gentleman  who  has  been 
specializing  on  cancer,  Dr.  E.  L.  Winder,  Department  of  Surgery, 
Washington  University  School  of  Medicine,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
He  is  attached  to  the  National  Cancer  Foundation  and  is  one  of 
the  most  eminent  men  in  cancer  treatment  in  the  country.  He  spent 
a  few  days  here  in  Salt  Lake  City  the  week  of  August  29th. 

He  came  to  the  laboratory  in  which  Dr.  George  R.  Hill,  Jr., 
works,  because  the  company  who  employs  him  had  published  a  paper 
on  arsenic  content  of  tobacco  smoke.  This  gentleman  stated  that 
he  had  come  to  Utah  to  make  a  study  of  lung  cancer  since  he  had 
heard  that  cigarette  smoking  is  appreciably  lower  in  Utah  than  in 
any  other  state,  "because  Mormons  do  not  smoke."  He  reports 
that  lung  cancer,  virtually  unknown  a  hundred  years  ago,  and 
occurring  only  rarely  in  1912,  is  today  taking  the  lives  of  more 
men  than  any  other  type  of  cancer.  More  than  twenty  percent  of 
the  cancers  attributed  to  men  are  lung  cancers.  They  have  been 
endeavoring  to  find  out  why  this  increase  in  lung  cancer,  and  have 
found  the  answer — cigarette  smoking,  definitely  and  unmistakably  so. 

He  has  personally  investigated  over  five  hundred  cases  of  lung 
cancer  and  says  that  in  every  case  but  four,  these  men  have  been 
smoking  cigarettes,  from  one  pack  to  two  packs  a  day,  for  some  twenty 
to  thirty  years.  And  then  he  adds:  "That  percentage  is  far  too 
great  to  be  meaningless." 

He  says  that  the  average  patient  of  lung  cancer  dies  at  fifty-two 
years  of  age,  and  that  the  average  lung  cancer  lasts  only  thirteen 
months  before  proving  fatal. 

He  interviewed  eleven  or  twelve  Mormons  who  call  themselves 
"Jack-Mormons,"  having  lung  cancer,  and  found  them  in  every  case 
but  one,  a  man  seventy-four  years  of  age,  to  be  heavy  smokers. 

Dr.  Hill  asked  him  if  he  had  found  similar  cases  among  women. 
The  doctor  answered,  "No,  but  I  look  for  a  very  great  increase  in 
lung  cancers  among  women  in  the  next  ten  or  fifteen  years." 

Drinking  on  Increase 

Liquor  drinking  is  increasing.  In  Salt  Lake  County  we  have 
reports  from  seven  of  these  liquor  stores.  From  June  1st  to  5th 
of  1948,  one  store  that  week — note  only  about  four  days — sold 
$62,381  worth.  The  corresponding  week  this  year  $72,000.  June 
14th  to  19th,  $65,900,  practically  $66,000.  And  this  year,  correspond- 


190 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


ing  week  $78,900,  or  $79,000.  The  increase  in  the  first  week  was 
$9,700,  the  second  $13,000,  the  fourth,  $4,000,  the  fifth,  $3,000,  the 
sixth,  $12,000,  seventh,  $19,000,  eighth,  $13,000,  and  in  August 
$10,000. 

"In  consequence  of  evils  and  designs  which  do  and  will  exist  in 
the  hearts  of  conspiring  men,  I  have  warned  you,  and  forewarn 
you ..." 

Now,  we  do  not  want  to  condemn  the  unfortunates,  but  we  do 
want  to  warn  our  boys  and  girls  against  these  evils.  We  must  not 
shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  all  this  smoking  and  all  this  drinking  is 
not  done  by  those  who  are  non-members  of  the  Church.  Even  if 
we  have  only  a  small  percentage,  it  is  worth  our  while  to  be  on  our 
guard  and  try  to  save  our  boys  and  our  girls  from  these  evils. 

Results  of  Alcoholism 

A  young  man  who,  addicted  to  drink,  became  an  alcoholic,  and 
finally  took  his  own  life  in  a  New  York  hotel,  left  his  last  will  and 
testament  as  follows: 

I  leave  to  society  a  ruined  character.  I  leave  to  my  parents  as  much 
misery  as  they  can  bear.  I  leave  to  my  brothers  and  sisters  the  memory 
of  a  misspent  life.  I  leave  to  my  wife  a  broken  heart.  I  leave  to  my 
children  the  memory  of  a  drunkard's  name. 

James  L.  Gordon,  by  whom  this  is  quoted  says  this  ought  to  be 
written  on  the  memory  of  every  youth  who  is  prone  to  say  to  himself, 
"I  can  drink  and  I  can  let  it  alone." 

Obligations  to  Youth 

Some  of  our  foolish  girls,  here  in  the  city  particularly,  are  be- 
coming addicts  to  nicotine.  We  should  warn  them,  labor  with  them, 
not  drive  them  from  us,  bring  them  into  our  Mutuals,  our  Sunday 
Schools,  and  into  our  socials  where  they  may  mingle  with  those 
who  cherish  higher  ideals.  I  want  to  tell  you,  brethren,  that  we 
cannot  with  impunity  sit  by  and  be  satisfied  with  having  the  best 
of  our  boys  and  girls  come  to  auxiliary  and  priesthood  meetings  and 
let  the  others  go  unvisited. 

If  parents  are  failing  in  guiding  the  youth  then  it  is  the  duty  o! 
ward  teachers  and  priesthood  quorums  and  auxiliary  teachers  to 
supplant  in  the  lives  of  these  children  the  love  which  they  are  losing 
perhaps  because  of  broken  homes. 

Prevalence  of  Divorce 

If  I  had  time  to  give  you  the  number  of  these  young  people 
who  have  been  fingerprinted  who  come  from  broken  homes,  you 
would  see  where  one  source  of  this  evil  lies.    Divorces  are  altogether 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


191 


too  common  in  our  Church.  I  hope  the  time  will  come  soon  when 
there  will  be  no  divorce  granted,  no  sealing  cancelled,  unless  that 
couple  first  come  to  a  member  of  the  priesthood,  stake  or  ward,  and 
try  their  best  to  avoid  a  separation. 

Standards  of  Servicemen 

Now  I  conclude  with  a  reference  to  the  standards  of  our  boys 
during  the  war.  Many  of  them,  under  difficult  conditions,  proved 
themselves  strong  enough  to  resist  the  temptations.  Only  today  a 
returned  soldier  came  and  put  this  into  my  hands  with  the  remark: 
"I  collected  this  while  overseas  during  the  war  years." 

No  matter  what  else  you  are  doing, 

From  cradle  days  through  to  the  end; 
You  are  writing  your  life's  secret  story, 

Each  night  sees  another  page  penned. 
Each  month  ends  a  thirty  page  chapter. 

Each  year  the  end  of  a  part; 
And  never  an  act  is  misstated, 

Nor  even  a  wish  of  the  heart. 
Each  morn  when  you  wake  the  book  opens, 

Revealing  a  page  clean  and  white; 
What  thoughts  and  what  words  and  what  doings, 

Will  cover  its  surface  by  night! 
God  leaves  that  to  you,  you  are  the  writer, 

And  never  one  word  will  grow  dim; 
Until  someday  you  write  the  word  "finish" 

And  give  back  your  life's  book  to  Him. 

God  help  us  as  men  of  the  priesthood  to  keep  the  lives  of  our 
boys  and  girls  pure  and  white,  that  they  may  return,  with  us,  back  to 
the  presence  of  our  Father  in  heaven,  worthy  of  the  welcome,  "Well 
done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servants,"  I  pray,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

PRESIDENT  J.  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR. 

First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

Are  you  bringing  the  figures,  Bishop?  I  thought  there  were  so 
many,  perhaps  they  could  not  count  them.  I  always  question  these 
figures. 

Tonight,  October  1,  1949,  there  are  here  in  the  Tabernacle,  in- 
cluding the  baptistry  and  the  vestry,  10,082;  in  the  Assembly  Hall. 
2,307;  a  total  of  12,389.  On  April  1,  1949,  (last  conference),  there 
were  in  attendance  12,392.  I  think  we  have  the  extra  three  here  to- 
night, and  so  we're  as  many  as  were  at  our  April  meeting. 

In  October,  1948,  we  had  10,275  in  attendance.  The  doorways 
and  hallways  are  packed,  the  Assembly  Hall  is  overflowing,  many  are 
on  the  outside  unable  to  get  in. 


192 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


We  are  hoping  that  sometime,  before  too  long  a  period  goes  by, 
we  shall  be  able,  somehow,  to  provide  a  hall  that  will  seat  all  of  you 
brethren  that  want  to  come. 

Power  in  Unity 

Brethren:  We  have  had  a  glorious  meeting.  The  time  is  getting 
late.  I  am  not  going  to  say  very  much.  I  do  want  to  repeat  my  theme 
song,  which  is  brought  to  my  mind  every  time  I  stand  before  this  great 
audience  of  priesthood.  If,  brethren,  you  could  only  know  what  your 
power  would  be  if  you  were  really  and  truly  united,  you  would  not 
delay  a  day  in  reaching  that  unity. 

Now,  unity  does  not  consist  merely  in  words,  or  professions  of 
loyalty;  it  consists  in  actual  acts.  We  must  see  eye  to  eye,  and  we 
must  act  accordingly.  Bishops  and  presidents  of  stakes  cannot — and 
have  unity  in  the  Church — decide  that  they  have  a  special  situation 
which  requires  special  treatment.  There  are  the  same  basic  passions, 
the  same  basic  problems,  everywhere  in  this  broad  land.  They  have 
been  with  men  from  the  beginning.  Now,  there  seems  to  be  at  the 
moment,  or  for  the  year,  or  for  the  years,  a  resurgence  of  the  evil  part 
or  side  of  men,  but  there  are  no  new  passions,  no  new  ambitions,  no 
new  greeds,  no  new  thirsts  for  power,  no  new  cruelties.  It  is  all  the 
same  old  story. 

Way  to  Handle  Sin 

When  we  think  that  our  present  condition  is  something  new 
and  that  we  can  tamper  with  it,  when  we  think  that  we  can  approach 
it  by  some  other  means  than  have  been  proved  effective  in  the  past,  I 
fear  we  may  be  fooling  ourselves.  Somebody  says,  I  believe,  that  when 
you  have  a  thorn  the  thing  to  do  is  grasp  it,  like  this,  not  toy  with  it 
in  your  hands  or  you  get  hurt. 

It  is  my  belief  that  there  is  only  one  way  to  handle  sin  and  that 
is  to  take  it  by  the  throat  and  throttle  it.  Now,  I  do  not  mean  that  you 
go  around  killing  people;  I  do  not  mean  that  you  should  throw  them 
out  of  the  Church;  I  do  not  mean  that  you  should  be  unkind,  un- 
sympathetic, uncharitable,  but  the  Lord  does  not  look  upon  sin  with 
the  least  degree  of  allowance,  though  he  has  all  charity  for  the 
individual  sinner,  whom  he  tries  to  win  back. 

I  had  thought  before  conference  began  that  I  might  say  some- 
thing about  the  great  council  of  heaven,  the  part  Lucifer  played  in  it, 
but  we  have  handled  Lucifer  pretty  roughly  this  conference;  and  the 
story  of  the  grand  council  has  been  told  two  or  three  times.  President 
Hunter  gave  us  a  very  elaborate  version  of  it  today. 

Satan's  Plan 

To  my  mind,  as  I  read  the  scriptures,  the  thing  boils  down  rather 
simply.  I  do  not  know  whether  Satan  was  offering  a  new  plan  or 
whether  he  had  offered  it  before,  but  it  sounded  as  if  he  thought  it 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


193 


was  a  new  plan.  Satan  offered  the  Father  to  take  over  all  the  spirits 
in  the  great  council  and  save  them  all.  Nobody  was  going  to  be  lost, 
and  all  he  asked  of  the  Father  was  that  the  Father  abdicate.  He  did 
not  use  that  word.  Maybe  it  is  not  used  up  in  heaven,  but  we  know 
what  it  means  down  here.  The  Father  was  to  turn  all  of  his  power 
over  to  Satan,  was  to  disappear,  get  out  of  the  picture. 

The  Son  apparently  had  been  organizing  worlds  before,  inter- 
preting the  passage  in  the  Book  of  Moses,  where  the  Father  said  to 
Moses:  "Worlds  without  number  had  He  created;  by  His  Only 
Begotten  Son  had  He  made  them." 

The  Son  proposed  he  would  take  it  over  and  apparently  do  as 
he  always  had  done,  give  all  the  power  and  the  honor  and  the  glory 
to  the  Father.  There  was  no  suggestion  of  abdication. 

What  Satan  wanted,  quite  evidently,  was  the  full  possession, 
ownership,  of  this  creation  of  spirits  that  is  involved  in  the  peopling 
of  this  earth;  so  he  tried  to  get  them  by  gift,  and  that  being  denied, 
he  is  following  along  and  trying  to  get  us  through  the  commission  of 
sin.  If  we  sin  sufficiently  we  become  his  subjects. 

As  I  read  the  scriptures,  Satan's  plan  required  one  of  two  things: 
Either  the  compulsion  of  the  mind,  the  spirit,  the  intelligence  of  man, 
or  else  saving  men  in  sin.  I  question  whether  the  intelligence  of  man 
can  be  compelled.  Certainly  men  cannot  be  saved  in  sin,  because  the 
laws  of  salvation  and  exaltation  are  founded  in  righteousness,  not 
in  sin. 

We  grow  only  by  the  things  we  overcome,  our  failings  that  we 
put  under  foot.  We  climb  up,  get  on  top,  one  after  the  other  of  our 
failings,  till  in  the  end,  if  we  are  righteous  living,  all  of  our  failings 
are  under  our  feet,  and  that  is  what  salvation  and  exaltation  require. 

Chastity 

I  thought  that  I  might  conclude  the  few  remarks  I  want  to  make 
tonight,  by  some  statements  which  I  have  written  out,  because  I 
wanted  to  be  fairly  sure  of  what  I  said  regarding  chastity.  And  I  want 
to  say  I  approve  of  all  that  President  McKay  has  said  regarding  my 
belief  in  the  substantial  purity  of  the  great  bulk  of  our  people.  But 
this  devil  is  out  amongst  us,  there  is  no  question  about  it.  It  is  just 
as  real  as  though  there  was  an  army  of  invasion  of  mortal  men.  So 
what  I  have  written  has  been  written  in  broad  terms,  but  I  want  you 
to  understand  that  what  I  say  as  including  my  firm  belief  that  the 
great  bulk  of  our  young  people  are  clean. 

The  Ten  Commandments  contain  two  provisions  I  wish  now 
specially  to  note:  "Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery.  Thou  shalt  not 
covet  thy  neighbor's  wife." 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  besetting  sin  today  is  sensuality,  sex 
perversi®n,  sex  indulgence. 


194 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Sex  Desire 

There  is  some  belief,  too  much  I  fear,  that  sex  desire  is  planted 
in  us  solely  for  the  pleasures  of  full  gratification;  that  the  begetting 
of  children  is  only  an  unfortunate  incident.  The  direct  opposite  is  the 
fact.  Sex  desire  was  planted  in  us  in  order  to  be  sure  that  bodies 
would  be  begotten  to  house  the  spirits;  the  pleasures  of  gratification 
of  the  desire  is  an  incident,  not  the  primary  purpose  of  the  desire. 

Remembering  that  fact,  many  problems  will  disappear,  particular- 
ly the  one  presented  by  these  who  seek  full  gratification  without  be- 
getting children. 

Our  art,  literature,  drama,  movies,  television,  music,  the  ads  in 
magazines — in  great  part  run  to  sex.  It  seems  to  have  become  the 
uppermost  thought  in  many  minds.  It  colors  their  whole  lives.  This 
is  all  wrong.  A  mind  engrossed  in  sex  is  not  good  for  much  else. 

Unchastity  too  Common 

Unchastity  is  too  common.  It  is  in  our  schools,  from  the  graders 
up.  It  is  in  our  business  houses  and  industrial  plants.  It  is  too  large 
a  part  of  our  ordinary  social  life. 

Parents  are  grasping  at  straws  in  an  effort  to  hold  their  children. 
The  cry  is  raised  that  the  Church  needs  a  book  on  sex.  But  what 
should  such  a  book  tell?  Already  the  schools  have  taught  sex  facts 
ad  nauseam.  All  their  teachings  have  but  torn  away  the  modesty  that 
once  clothed  sex;  their  discussions  tend  to  make,  and  sometimes  seem 
to  make,  sex  animals  of  our  boys  and  girls.  The  teachings  do  little 
but  arouse  curiosity  for  experience.  It  is  said  these  courses  tell  enough 
about  the  generation  of  human  beings  to  enable  the  youth,  largely,  to 
escape  parenthood.  Books  are  written,  courses  are  given  about  court- 
ship and  marriage.  To  what  point?  We  have  not  too  far  to  go  to  get 
to  the  heathenish  abominations  and  practices  of  the  pre-Christian  and 
early  Christian  times,  against  which  the  Lord  again  and  again  lashed 
out  to  ancient  Israel  and  to  early  Christians. 

Be  Chaste 

A  word  on  chastity  can  be  given  in  one  sentence,  two  words:  Be 
chaste!  That  tells  everything.  You  do  not  need  to  know  all  the  details 
of  the  reproduction  processes,  in  order  to  keep  clean.  Be  chaste  be- 
cause God  commanded  it.  That  is  all  there  is  to  it.  "Thou  shalt  not 
commit  adultery,"  said  the  Lord  at  Sinai,  and  he  has  drawn  no  fine 
distinctions  such  as  some  would  like  to  draw  between  adultery  and 
fornication.  The  Lord  used  the  words  interchangeably. 

Sex  in  Marriage 

As  to  sex  in  marriage,  the  necessary  treatise  on  that  for  Latter- 
day  Saints  can  be  written  in  two  sentences:  Remember  the  prime  pur- 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD 


195 


pose  of  sex  desire  is  to  beget  children.  Sex  gratification  must  be  had 
at  that  hazard.  You  husbands :  be  kind  and  considerate  of  your  wives. 
They  are  not  your  property;  they  are  not  mere  conveniences;  they 
are  your  partners  for  time  and  eternity. 

Cultivation  of  Modesty 

If  you  would  be  chaste,  as  God  has  commanded,  then  avoid  con- 
duct and  practices  that  arouse  the  passions.  A  wise  and  pure  boy  or 
girl,  one  that  wishes  to  be  clean,  will  not  "pet,"  nor  "neck,"  nor  "love- 
play,"  nor  practice  any  other  undue  physical  familiarity,  by  what- 
ever name  known.  At  best,  these  are  gross  and  provocative  indiscre- 
tions; at  worst  they  are  the  preludes  to  certain  and,  too  frequently, 
planned  transgressions.  These  are  all  uncleanly  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord.  If  youth  will  abandon  these,  if  it  will  decently  re-cloth  itself, 
and  cultivate  modesty — a  largely  lost  virtue — it  will  be  a  long  way  on 
the  road  to  chastity,  which  will  bring  untarnished  happiness  here  and 
eternal  joy  in  the  hereafter. 

And  what  I  say  to  youth,  I  say  to  you  young  married  people 
who  are  said  to  be,  in  many  cases,  far  too  lax  in  your  morals.  What 
may  unchaste  parents  expect  from  their  children,  except  unchastity. 

Evils  of  Divorce 

And  with  all  this  unchastity  comes  the  great  evils  of  divorce 
which  is  increasing  amongst  us  at  a  wholly  undue  rate.  The  Lord 
has  made  clear  from  the  beginning  that  these  things  are  not  pleasing 
in  his  sight. 

May  the  Lord  bless  us.  May  we  be  on  guard.  There  is  no  such 
thing  with  us  as  transgressing  today,  confessing  tomorrow,  paying  the 
price,  and  then  transgressing  the  next  day  all  over  again.  That  is 
not  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

God  bless  us  and  help  us  to  guide  the  youth.  Again  I  pay  tribute 
to  the  youth,  the  clean  youth,  and  the  great  bulk  of  them  are,  but  this 
danger  is  amongst  us.  It  will  not  do  to  think  it,  or  hide  our  eyes  to 
it.  O,  brethren,  be  a  unit  in  fighting  sin,  in  sustaining  those  who  are 
placed  in  authority,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  in  the  Church.  Be 
a  unit  in  clinging  to  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  gospel,  that 
God  may  bless  us,  I  humbly  pray,  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Amen. 

The  men  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  sang  "Discovery." 

President  Jesse  A.  Udall  of  the  St.  Joseph  Stake  offered  the  clos- 
ing prayer. 

The  congregational  singing  of  the  Conference  was  directed  by 
J.  Spencer  Cornwall,  Conductor,  and  Richard  P.  Condie,  Assistant 
Conductor,  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir. 

The  Salt  Lake  Tabernacle  Choir  was  in  attendance  at  the  Sat- 
urday afternoon  and  Sunday  sessions  and  furnished  the  choral  music 


196 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


for  those  sessions.  J.  Spencer  Cornwall  directed  the  singing  of  the 
Choir. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region 
and  the  four  Provo  stakes,  with  Sister  Florence  Jepperson  Madsen, 
director,  furnished  the  choral  music  for  the  Friday  sessions. 

The  music  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  broadcast,  Sun- 
day morning,  9:30  to  10:00,  was  directed  by  J.  Spencer  Cornwall, 
Frank  W.  Asper  was  at  the  organ  console,  and  the  spoken  word  was 
by  Richard  L.  Evans. 

The  music  for  the  General  Priesthood  meeting  was  furnished  by 
the  Tabernacle  Choir  Men's  Chorus,  under  the  direction  of  J.  Spencer 
Cornwall. 

Accompaniments  and  interludes  on  the  great  organ  were  played 
by  Alexander  Schreiner,  Frank  W.  Asper,  and  Roy  M.  Darley. 


Stenographic  notes  of  the  Conference  were  taken  by  Frank  W. 
Otterstrom  and  Joseph  Anderson. 

Joseph  Anderson, 
Clerk  o[  the  Conference. 


INDEX 

Authorities  and  Officers  Present   2 

Benson,  Elder  Ezra  Taft   22 

Church  Established  by  Christ  23,  Beginning  of  Apostasy  24,  Princi- 
ples and  Ordinances  Changed  25,  Abominable  Practices  Introduced 
25,  Apostasy  Predicted  26,  Apostasy  Attested  Fact  27,  True  Church 
Reestablished  27,  A  Message  for  the  World  28,  Testimony  28. 

Blomguist,  Elder  Eben  R.  T   180 

Bowen,  Elder  Albert  E.  138 

Admonition  to  Do  Better  138,  The  Gospel  Plan  138,  Human  Frailties 
139,  Resolution  to  Do  Good  139,  Early  Christian  Exhortations  140, 
Struggle  for  Perfection  141,  Practice  of  Virtues  142,  Fidelity  to 
Gospel  Law  143. 

Changes  in  Church  Officers,  Stake,  Ward  and  Branch  

Organizations    31 

Choir  and  Organ  Broadcast  .  ..113 

Clark,  President  J.  Reuben,  Jr  30,  59,  86,  111,  174,  175,  183 

Clark,  President  J.  Reuben,  Jr  107 

Observance  of  Sabbath  107,  Instructions  at  Sinai  107,  Time  for  Rec- 
reation 108,  Modern  Revelation  on  Sabbath  108,  Further  Instructions 
109,  Activities  at  Home  and  Abroad  110,  Horse  Racing  111,  Blessings 
of  Sabbath  Observance  111. 

Clark,  President  J.  Reuben,  Jr.  191 

Power  in  Unity  192,  Way  to  Handle  Sin  192,  Satan's  Plan  192, 
Chastity  193,  Sex  Desire  194,  Unchastity  too  Common  194,  Be  Chaste 
194,  Sex  in  Marriage  194,  Cultivation  of  Modesty  195,  Evils  of 
Divorce  195. 

Cowley,  Elder  Matthew   45 

Sincerity  of  Missionaries  45,  Chinese  Mission  45,  Opportunities  in 
Japan  46,  City  of  Shibata  46,  Rehabilitation  of  People  47,  Missionary 
Activities  48,  Pioneer  Spirit  48,  Sustaining  of  Missionaries  49. 

Cox,  Elder  Roscoe  C.  165 

Evans,  Elder  Richard  L.   18 

Advice  Given  to  Moses  18,  Delegation  of  Responsibility  19,  Activity 
of  Membership  20,  Shortcuts  20,  "We  the  People"  21. 

First  Day — Morning  Meeting   2 

First  Day — Afternoon  Meeting    30 

General  Authorities  and  Officers  of  the  Church  Present   2 

General  Authorities  and  Officers  Presented  and  Sustained  147 

General  Priesthood  Meeting.....  174 


198  INDEX 

Hunter,  Elder  Milton  R   69 

Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  69,  Pre-Mortal  Life  69,  Mission  of  Jesus 
Christ  70,  Gospel  Plan  Revealed  70,  Salvation  through  Jesus  71, 
Earthly  Mission  71,  Church  Organized  72,  Restoration  of  Gospel  72, 
Further  Revelations  73,  The  Second  Coming  74,  Sanctified  Earth  74. 

Huntsman,  Elder  Evon  W,   83 

Isaacson,  Elder  Thorpe  B.  153 

Gratitude  for  Choir  154,  Strength  in  Prayer  154,  Pageant  at  Hill 
Cumorah  154,  Non-Members  in  Attendance  155,  Blessing  Sought  155, 
Faith  Evidenced  156,  Conference  in  Sacred  Grove  157,  Privilege  of 
a  Mission  158,  Gods  Pay  159. 

Ivins,  Elder  Antoine  R.  134 

Influence  of  Joseph  Smith  134,  Firm  Foundation  135,  The  Priesthood 
135,  Educational  Program  136,  Basic  Principles  136,  High  Motives  of 
Officers  137. 

Kimball,  Elder  Spencer  W.  123 

A  Prophet  of  God  123,  Work  Among  Lamanites  124,  Need  for 
Repentance  124,  Faults  to  be  Overcome  125,  All  Need  to  Repent  126, 
A  Merciful  Law  127,  Abandonment  of  Sin  127,  Restitution  128,  For- 
giveness of  Sins  128,  The  Higher  Law  129,  "How  Oft  Shall  I  For- 
give" 129,  Judge  Not  130,  Unholy  Judging  131,  Examples  of  Forgive- 
ness 132,  Duties  of  Offended  One  132,  Forgiveness  Involves 
Forgetting  133,  Settling  Differences  133. 

Kirkham,  Elder  Oscar  A.   90 

Look  Up  to  the  Spires  90,  Be  Unafraid  91,  Greatness  in  Youth  91, 
Sun  Always  There  92,  The  Voice  Within  92. 

Lee,  Elder  Harold  B  ..   54 

Power  of  Evil  54,  Satan's  Dominion  55,  Powers  of  Darkness  56, 
Importance  of  Defenses  56,  Power  of  God  in  Weakness  56,  Satan's 
Ability  to  Deceive  57,  Armor  of  God  57,  Experience  with  Power 
of  Evil  58. 

Merrill,  Elder  Joseph  F.   33 

A  Practical  Religion  34,  Constitution  Divinely  Inspired  34,  Critical 
Elections  35,  Provisions  of  Taft-Hartley  Law  36,  Desire  to  Get  More 
36,  Pension  Plans  37,  Campaign  of  Education  38,  Support  of  Consti- 
tution 38. 

Mitchell,  Elder  E.  Bentley  183 

Moyle,  Elder  Henry  D.  160 

Progress  of  Welfare  Program  160,  Help  Given  German  Family  160, 
Inglewood  Stake  Project  161,  Faith  Increased  162,  Work  of  the  Lord 
163,  Start  with  Simple  Projects  164. 

McConkie,  Elder  Bruce  R.  75 

Message  of  the  Restoration  75,  Guidance  of  Holy  Ghost  76,  Sound 
Doctrine  76,  Head  of  This  Dispensation  77,  Modern  Scriptures  78, 
The  Book  of  Mormon  78,  Most  Correct  of  Any  Book  79,  Testimony 
79. 

McKay,  President  David  O.  60,  75,  85,  146 


INDEX  199 

McKay,  President  David  O.  116 

Teach  All  Nations  117,  Number  of  Missionaries  117,  Forty-six  Mis- 
sions 118,  Who  Missionaries  Are  119,  Influence  of  Missionary  System 
Upon  Youth  119,  Trustworthiness  120,  Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  120, 
Relation  to  Other  Organizations  121,  True  Church  Restored  121, 
Ambassadors  of  Good  Will  122. 

McKay,  President  David  0  185 

"Evils  and  Designs"  185,  Methods  of  Tobacco  Interests  185,  Cig- 
arette Advertising  185,  Confidence  in  Youth  187,  Examples  of 
Devotion  187,  A  Vice  to  be  Shunned  188,  Report  on  Delinquency 
188,  Tobacco  and  Lung  Cancer  189,  Drinking  on  Increase  189,  Re- 
sults of  Alcoholism  190,  Obligations  to  Youth  190.  Prevalence  of 
Divorce  190,  Standards  of  Servicemen  191. 

Petersen,  Elder  Mark  E.   80 

Difficulties  Encountered  80,  Faith  in  God  81,  Ancient  Apostles  and 
Prophets  81,  Apostles  and  Prophets  Today  82,  Consistent  Support  of 
Program  82. 

Presentation  of  Authorities  147 

Priesthood  Meeting,  General  174 

Richards,  President  George  F.  150 

Love  of  God  150,  Work  of  Christ  Traced  150,  Physical  Appearance 
of  Christ  151,  Parallel  in  Lives  of  Savior  and  Joseph  Smith  152, 
Personal  Testimony  153. 

Richards,  Bishop  LeGrand   49 

Gathering  of  Israel  49,  Prophecies  Fulfilled  50,  Book  of  Mormon 
Vindicated  50,  Conditions  Foretold  51,  Satan  Deceives  World  52, 
Experiences  in  Holland  52,  Chastity  53. 

Richards,  Bishop  LeGrand    175 

Does  the  Gospel  Fit?  175,  Ezekiel's  Contribution  176,  Missionary 
Experiences  176,  Eternal  Marriage  178. 

Richards,  Elder  Stephen  L   93 

Elders  Quorums  93,  High  Honor  of  Elders'  Calling  94,  Loss  of  Inter- 
est 95,  Weaknesses  of  Members  96,  Message  for  Inactive  96,  Divinity 
of  Priesthood  97. 

Romney,  Elder  Marion  G     39 

Fruits  of  the  Gospel  39,  Peace  Amidst  Tribulation  40,  Eternal  Life  41, 
Assurance  of  Blessings  41,  More  Sure  Word  of  Prophecy  42,  Sus- 
tained by  Assurance  42,  Wholehearted  Devotion  43,  Calling-  and 
Election  Made  Sure  44. 

Second  Day — Morning  Meeting   60 

Second  Day — Afternoon  Meeting   86 

Smith,  Elder  Eldred  G.   9 

Goal  of  Perfection  9,  Law  of  Repentance  10,  Overcoming  Evil  10, 
Resiliency  Needed  11,  Procrastination  12,  Teachings  of  Conference 
12. 


200  INDEX 

Smith,  President  George  Albert  3,  29,  115,  143,  145, 

146,  149,  164,  173 

Smith,  President  George  Albert   4 

A  Wonderful  Age  4,  "Come  and  See"  4,  Two  Influences  5,  Ten 
Commandments  6,  A  Sick  World  6,  Gospel  Message  7,  Acceptance 
of  Truth  8,  Blessings  of  Gospel  8,  Testimony  9. 

Smith,  President  George  Albert  167 

Wickedness  in  World  167,  A  Blessed  Land  168,  Carelessness  Evident 
168,  Judge  Not  168,  Welfare  Program  169,  Our  Shortcomings  169, 
Generosity  Shown  170,  Advice  to  Rich  and  Poor  170,  The  Pure  in 
Heart  171,  Idlers  and  Laborers  171,  Covetousness  172,  Sacrifice 
Brings  Blessings  172. 


Smith,  Elder  Joseph  Fielding   87 

Wish  to  Reach  People  87,  Free  Agency  88,  Joseph  Smith  a  Prophet 
88,  Truth  of  The  Book  of  Mormon  89,  Importance  of  Accepting 
Truth  89. 

Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  Broadcast  113 

Taggart,  Elder  Scott  103 

Third  Day — Morning  Meeting  113 

Third  Day — Afternoon  Meeting  145 

Widtsoe,  Elder  John  A.   61 

A  Great  Heritage  61,  A  Land-Loving  People  62,  New  Industrial 
Era  62,  Strength  from  Soil  62,  Reclamation  of  Land  63,  Fertility  of 
Soil  63,  Guiding  Principles  64. 

Wirthlin,  Elder  Joseph  L.   98 

Virtue  of  Honesty  98,  Dishonesty  Brings  War  98,  Individual  Honesty 
99,  Honesty  in  Government  100,  Honesty  in  Work  100,  Heritage 
of  Honesty  101,  Honesty  Defined  101,  Example  of  Honesty  102. 

Young,  Elder  Clifford  E.   65 

Practical  Religion  65,  Work  Accomplished  66,  Prayer  and  Works  67, 
Faith  of  Dr.  Middleton  67,  Necessity  of  Work  67,  Spiritual  Needs  68. 

Young,  Elder  Levi  Edgar   12 

Truths  of  God  13,  Gospel  Reestablished  14,  Principle  of  Revelation 
14,  Faith  in  Revealed  Word  15,  "Words  of  Wisdom"  15,  Refinement 
and  Culture  16,  First  Library  17,  Achievements  of  Pioneers  17,  Mis- 
sionaries to  Teach  World  18. 


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